The 2014 Masters - My Wednesday Par 3 Experience!

A few weeks late but I've meaning to give a quick re-cap of my 2014 Masters experience.

As many of you know, I'm an avid golfer (as much as a father of two can be!) and fan of the game.   For most golf fans, including myself, the annual return to Augusta National is often considered to be the pinnacle event.   It is extremely tough to win passes for tournament rounds or practice days through the club's lottery, so any opportunity to attend is a cherished moment of fortune for me.

Luck was shining very brightly on me this year as my old man won 4 passes to Wednesday's practice round.   He's a BIG fan himself, but he's also a righteous dude who loves his kids.....and subsequently gave two passes to my wife and I and the other two to my sister and her husband.   The date was set!   My wife was not able to make it that day (something I must correct asap!), but my little brother was more than happy to take her place. 

While Wednesday is still a practice day and many might think that this is less desirable than an actual tournament day, it is actually one of the finest professional golf experiences you can have as a spectator and fan.   You can spend the morning on the grounds of Augusta National, chomping away on $2.00 pimento cheese sandwiches, relaxing beneath the swaying Georgia pines as you watch players work their way around the course....but come early afternoon, you'll want to make your way over to the Par 3 course positioned on a great little piece of property behind the guest cabins that line the left side of #10's fairway.  

As a tradition, this Par 3 tournament is held every Wednesday during Masters week.   It affords players a relaxing and fun environment in which they can let their guard down just a bit and have their families join them for 9 holes of some pitching & putting.   Wives and children (and even fiances, in the case of Rory McIlroy) often "loop" (caddie) for their husbands and dads which can lead to some comical and/or memorable moments.   The players will also joke with one another and interact with fans more than at any other time.....simply put, it's terrific.

A few years ago, in 2009, I attended the Masters for the very first time.   It was one of the most memorable sports memories of my life.   Laying eyes upon the grounds of that course would have been enough - but I also enjoyed what will probably be the most epic, in-person autograph experiences that I will EVER have.   It occurred during the Par 3 tournament and was completely unexpected...

I'll save that story for another time :)

I think back on it often, and have always hoped for a chance to recreate that experience.....so with another shot last month, I stuffed a few mini-sharpies in my pocket, eagerly pick up another Masters flag and kept my fingers crossed for some good fortune.

As with most things - the good deals never last forever.   ESPN was having difficulty in recent years making sure that they could get ample TV coverage of key player groups during their telecast time slot.   The reason?   Players were spending too much time between holes interacting with fans to sign autographs or simply goof around.   I was told this quite candidly when I reached my lucky spot from 2009.   Flag in hand, I found a great spot along the ropes and in the shade, where I pulled out my sharpie and prepared to hope for the best....until a couple security guards walked up and asked that I put the pen away.   They also asked that I not ask the players for an autograph, even though the spectators' guide specifically said that autograph seeking was allowed on the practice facility and during the Par 3 tournament.

I complied, of course.   But I respectfully asked the guards about the discrepancy between the two sources.   They pointed out that there were two areas on the Par 3 course where autograph seekers were allowed to post up, but that these were reserved for patrons 16 and under.   Uh oh.

"What's an old golf fan like me supposed to do?" I asked.

I received a few shrugs but one of the guards stayed behind to try and save the moment, "I know, sir. It kind of stinks, but these are the marching order we were all given this year.  Look, try and find a spot along the ropes out there where the players walk by and where there's not a bunch of us or official Augusta Marshals hanging out.   We can't make players stop signing if they start!"

Challenge accepted.

My brother and I tried here and there among the slithering Par 3's.   We took our time, being sure to balance our quest for ink with enjoying the day and watching some great golf shots.   We hiked up the hill along the left side of #6, towards the tee box.   There were some open spots along the rope, right where the players were making their way from #5's green to #6.   Fantastic!

We got comfortable and gave each other a reassuring nod.   No, we hadn't managed to get any autographs but we were now in a GREAT position to watch tee shots on #6 from about 20 feet away.   Success, but it only got sweeter as the very next threesome that came through began working their way down the rope straight towards us, signing autographs!

I looked around but didn't see any security rushing in to usher the player forward or chastise the patrons for pestering the pros......I glanced at the #6 tee box, looking for the Augusta Marshall to see if they cared - WHOA!   No, she didn't care, but more importantly, SHE was one of the first two female Augusta members, former US Secretary of State (and fellow Notre Dame grad :) Condoleezza Rice.   Regardless of politics aside, I always relish opportunities to see/greet/meet political figures in person.   It's usually an interesting experience, is rarely what I think it will be like, and always memorable.   Would I be able to avoid security detection and interact with Secretary Rice?

For the next two and a half hours, my brother and I had a wonderful time.   We managed to collect a few autographs and speak to some of the world's finest golfers.   We had some good laugh at our own expense and caught some unique moments between the pros and their families.   For example, while Jim Furyk was absentmindedly signing my flag, he was whispering to his daughter (who was caddying for him), letting her know who Secretary Rice was and, as only a father can do, letting her know that she WAS going to introduce herself and shake her hand.   That made me smile.

One of my favorite golfers is Miguel Angel Jimenez, "The Mechanic".   The guy is known for puffing away on Cuban cigars at all time, enjoying fine wine and possessing one of the finest skinny-guy-beer-guts in professional sports.   I spoke with him back in 2009 and I'm pretty sure we had the EXACT same conversation this year:

"Thank you for signing my flag, Mr. Jimenez.   What are you smoking today?"

"Cohiba." he grumbled in a thick accent, before blowing out a huge cloud of smoke and moving on down the rope.....

"Nice...."

Awesome.   Love that guy.   I also had a pretty cool moment with Jose Maria Olazabal.   He won Green Jackets in '94 and '99.   He's one of the finest players to ever play the game but is truly more 'famous' in Europe than he is to American golf fans, particularly the younger generations.   I can remember watching him as a kid, though, and recognized him immediately as he walked off of #5's green.

"Good luck this week, Mr. Olazabal!" was all I could think of, but it caught his attention and he immediately flashed a warm smile and walked over to sign my flag.   He was very nice but seemed a little distant.   A moment too late, I recalled a conversation that my brother and I had earlier that day.   We realized that it was Seve Ballesteros' birthday.   A fellow Spaniard and 2-time Masters Champion, Ballesteros (who died in 2011) and Olazabal were close friends and perhaps Jose had his friend on his mind that day....I wish I had shared mine and my brother's remembrance of Seve.   I think it would've been appreciated by Mr. Olazabal.      
This post is dragging on, so let me get to the point.   A great day was had, and I left Augusta that day with many more great memories and a 2014 flag with a few signatures on it.   Here is the final result:

Starting in the upper left corner, there is newcomer Jonas Blixt (in red ink) who had a terrific showing this year!   The Mechanic added his unmistakable circled signature right above the red flag icon with Rory McIlroy's bizarre collection of loops immediately to the flag's right.   It looks like a child's rendering of the Olympic Rings to me!   Olazabal is the slick-looking slanted signature in black to the right of Rory's.

I thought that Aussie Jason Day would make another good go of it this year, but he struggled over the weekend.   I can say that he was absolutely fantastic to speak with and extremely nice/friendly.   As a side note, his wife is completely gorgeous and had a very real, endearing moment by our spot when their toddler began crying and was whisked away by a nanny.   Mrs. Day was obviously concerned for her child and looked torn as to whether or not she should stay with her husband (she was his caddie) or chase after their young one.   I can certainly appreciate that!   Mr. Day's signature is cool-looking "loopy" one in black ink, off the east coast.

Just south-by-southwest off of Florida's southern coast is the phenom, Jordan Spieth.   He turned pro last year and doesn't turn 21 years old until July!   If you caught any of Sunday's final round, you know that it began as a great exchange of "punches" between Jordan and eventual winner, Bubba Watson.   Spieth showed INCREDIBLE moxy throughout the week and undoubtedly has a lot of winning in front of him.   I am ecstatic to have his signature in my collection!

One of the more heartwarming stories from this year's Masters was the first father-son playing duo of Craig and Kevin Stadler.   The Walrus (Craig) was the '82 Masters Champion and is pretty well-known for his immense presence and Rollie-rific mustache.   He announced that this will be his final time playing in the tournament as he stayed on this long with the dream of one day playing with his son, Kevin.   Dream realized - it makes me tear up just to think about what THAT must have been like for them!  Kevin's signature is to the right of Spieth's.   I was unable to have the elder Stadler sign this y ear, though we shared a very comical interaction in 2009.....

K.J. Choi, a crowd favorite, is south of Texas.   To his left, in order, are Sandy Lyle ('88 Champion), Jim Furyk (2003 US Open Champion) and another favorite, Boo Weekley.   Boo attended the same High School as Bubba Watson who I played against throughout my competitive golfing career.

You guys had to know I'd throw that in there, right? :)   Glory days, my friends......glory days.

Unfortunately, I was shutout again in obtaining a signature from my old nemesis.....but one day.   I haven't spoken to Bubba since the Zurich Classic in '07, when I thought it would be real dorky of me to ask for an autograph from someone I used to play against.   Smooooth move, dork.   Moving on!   Above Boo's signature along the left edge is Lucas Glover (2009 US Open) in green, followed by Ian Poulter.

Other names on the flag are Thongchai Jaidee, Ken Duke, Lenny Melnyk, Mike Weir, Marc Leishman, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Mike McCoy, Jamie Donaldson, Steve Stricker, Graham DelLaet, Steven Bowditch, Joost Luiten, David Lynn, Chris Kirk, Peter Hanson and Derek Ernst.  

Now whatever happened to Madam Secretary?   Throughout our time at #6's tee box, Secretary Rice would mingle with the crowd quite often.   I had donned a Notre Dame hat that day and offered her a quiet "Go Irish!" as she walked by.   Luckily, this caught her attention and she came over to shake hands and chat for a few brief moments!   We talked about the Lady Irish getting pummeled the night before in the NCAAW Basketball title game.  I asked her if she was enjoying her first Masters as a member.....don't think I could have gotten much more rhetorical than that, but hey - what are you going to do?  

She wouldn't sign autographs while the tournament was going on, but she told me, for a fellow ND alum, she would if I could wait until after the last group.   Which I did, of course!   And she kindly obliged - that's her signature in green, to the west of the Mississippi River.

It was a another great day at one of my favorite places on the planet.   The tournament was a blast to watch and I was even fortunate enough to go BACK in person for Friday's round!   I followed Bubba as much as I could and watched as he rolled off the 5 consecutive birdies that propelled him in front of the pack, on his way towards his second green jacket.   What a great way to top it off and I believe the picture below sums it up nicely.

Thanks for reading (whew!) and keep collecting!

  

My Latest Thoughts on The Hall

Ah!

I love sports.   I love passionate discussions about sports.   I love highly controversial debates about the best players in sports........and the annual discussion over who belongs in baseball's Hall of Fame is nothing short of a marquee example of just such a spirited conversation.   This post was inspired by an offering of just such a conversation from my good friend Brian over at his great blog, 30 Year Old Cardboard.  Thanks for the fuel, buddy!

This year's ballot of potential honorees is a big one.   Yes, the list is long.....but it's big in terms of how the baseball world (or at least a chosen few of us) will view a very controversial issue in comparison to the criteria by which they cast their votes.    This ballot includes several great baseball players who were, in one way or another, tied to the use of performance enhancing drugs - steroids, HGH, etc.   Not the first time an accused player has been up for election, but this is the first LARGE grouping.   And the grouping is as notable as they come!   These players were compiled very impressive stats over many years.   For the most part, these players were sluggers - known best for their prowess at the plate.   Their strength to display such prowess the very skill supposedly warped by poor decisions to break the rules of the game.   At the time though, we all cheered and marveled and followed....and then cringed in dismay as we were shown that gods could bleed.   The exact knowledge of when, where and to what extent will never be known for sure.   The exact contribution of the cheating towards results on the field can never be known for sure.   It is not an exact science.

This could only hurt...forever.

Fortunately, neither is the criteria for being selected for eternal enshrinement amongst the game's greatest players in the Hall of Fame.

At best, we have ourselves an annual challenge.   At its worst, we must be subjected to a very subjective nightmare.....and one that has some very objective outcomes; for the players, their fans and the sport as whole. 

What could possibly go wrong, right?

So, where do we start?   Well, let's look at two key facts: WHO is responsible for making these very subjective selections and HOW they are supposed to be making them.......

Wait a second...

The "who" are "...active and honorary members of the Baseball Writers Association of America".   Okay.   So, who is that?   Well.......it's these guys and gals.   I'll let you dive into the history, purpose and current existence as much as you dare.   Basically, the BBWAA is a bunch of sportswriters (OR former sportswriters).   There are, according to the BBWAA site, over 700 current members.   They not only vote for Hall of Fame selection, though.   They determine the winners of other annual awards such as the League MVP's, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year and the Cy Young Award Winner.  

Pretty cool right?   I guess so.   The system is just too ripe for......subjectivity.

Can you place faith in a journalist who had previously decided that a particular player was the Rookie of the Year or Cy Young Award winner to be as objective when considering that player's body of work for the Hall of Fame against another player for whom that writer did NOT consider worthy of that same award but is hypothetically just as worthy based on their the rest of their career accomplishments?   It can quickly become a self-fulfilling effect.   But is that wrong?   Perhaps.  

Let's say a BBWAA member was really taken with a particular pitcher one year.   Maybe that writer was a journalist for the pitcher's hometown newspaper?   Maybe that writer was fortunate enough to attend a home game where that pitcher tossed an extraordinary complete game.   The kind of game that united the fans and produced an electric feeling amongst the spectators....the likes of which that said writer had never felt before, even though he/she had followed that team their entire life.......that's an epic moment!   Maybe that kind of moment can be combined with a pretty solid season of stats for that same pitcher.   And maybe that single-season body of work elicits a confident opinion from the very astute sportswriter that the pitcher is, clearly, the Rookie of the Year for his league.

Not a Pitcher, but...

Those feelings, those impressions, that compiling and consideration of the facts and images and "eye tests" from the entire season would have been (and should be!) taken into account by the writer and their vote should be considered no less relevant or honorable than any other voter.   Right?

But what about the vote from a writer in another town, for another player, with a similar body of work for that season........they both count.  Heck, they ALL will count - all 700+ of them, if everybody always voted.   Statistically, there is the effect of cancelling out individual biases with larger sample sizes, right?   So, there's nothing to really, truly complain about.  Right?

What if I told you that a BBWAA member could continue voting even if they retire from the profession?   They would no longer be obligated through their employment to follow the sport.  How can we guarantee that they'll remain as objective and engaged in their analysis as they were?   What if they move to south Florida and become an objective fan of a different team?   What if they spend more time on the golf range in their new life than they do scouring the box scores every morning?   Doesn't matter.   The BBWAA utilizes an honor code, whereby they can bestow lifetime membership with the expectation that their members maintain an adequate following of the game.

...nothing wrong with that...

Heh.   Okay.   Well, in between their 6 iron and 7 iron......HOW will these writers be asked to make their selection?   This is my favorite part!  In the words of the Board of Directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Incorporated:


"Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."


Isn't that something?   We always talk so very much about the statistics compiled by potential candidates, comparing and contrasting with tremendous vigor and spite.   But the statistics of any particular player can only really lay claim to two, maybe three, of the criteria specified above.   A player's record and playing ability can be easily substantiated from the empirical evidence of the player's career statistics.   Career average, home runs, fielding percentage and other benchmarks are black and white.   They are what they are - and can't be disputed.

Just Barry

Unless......

You consider the impact of our earlier issue, performance enhancing drugs.   But this leaves the realm of black and white and quickly adopts a very solemn shade of grey.   From here, any debate reaches a fork in the road.   You can either go left or right.   You can either say that you don't consider the use (or non-use) of PED's to be an issue or you do.   There is no in between.   Well......we could jump really far down the rabbit hole and begin to dissect the possibility of PED use before there were testing programs.   We could say that testing programs are not absolute.   We could say that every offending player was not caught or, in some cases, ratted out by other players.   And our brains would quickly ooze out of our ears if we tried to ascertain any of this for any season prior to.....well, next season.   We'll simply never know for sure.   Which is a pretty strong argument for simply ignoring the PED issue in its entirety.   IS PED use 100% responsible for a player's performance?   Of course not.  I could start injecting myself right now but I won't be slugging homers into McCovey Cove on a regular basis!   But there are rules in life.   Baseball is a game of rules.   For the most part.  Sometimes fallible humans screw the rules up and cause a tremendous and biblical gnashing of teeth......but if we had seen it.......well, the rules would RULE.   You're out.  It's a fair ball.  Take your base.   You trapped it.   Get off the field.   Your banned for life.

Reasonable doubt, right Ray Kinsella?

Ouch.  It hurts.  But so does life every once in awhile.  And that's what baseball is sometimes - a beautiful parody of our lives.

So, you have the statistics.   We can stare at those all day and average them out.   We can extrapolate to simulate longer careers if a player's actual playing days were untimely cut short.   We can argue over the greatness of a stolen base or save in comparison to total runs batted in, error-free innings or - (gasp) one of those subjectively voted-for awards!   I won't even touch the issues with fan-based All-Star selections........I mean, many of us fans aren't even sportswriters!  How lame.

Awkward........

Back to the criteria.

My favorite elements of the voting criteria are.....ironically, the least objective of the lot: integrity, character, sportsmanship and contributions to the teams on which the player played.   How beautifully mysterious are these general qualifications?  It doesn't even say that players must have honorable integrity or fine character or positive contributions to their teams in order to be considered.  They must simply have them, right?   I know, I know.   I'll stop.   OKAY -  we'll assume that the spirit of the criteria for selection implies that players should meet these criteria in a positive light.   Sound character.   Exemplary sportsmanship.   Steadfast integrity.   If we do that, though - doesn't that make it impossible....in a black and white kind of way......for any of us to take the "other fork" in the selection road that we mentioned earlier?   This criteria makes it impossible to vote for anybody who has been connected to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.   Yeah, they had the skills that may, MAY have been enhanced by some 'roids here or there....but they lost their integrity, right?  They tried to gain an unfair advantage over the competition.   Isn't that poor sportsmanship and character? 

Criteria Antonym

And what of the players who refused to partake?   That is a clear example of integrity and honorable character and sportsmanship, yes?   I tend to think so but I know that many others do not.

How about contributions to one team?   What does that mean to everybody?   I'll tell you what it doesn't mean to everyone - the SAME thing.   A player's contribution to a championship team throughout a miracle season will live on in legends and highlight reels.   A player's league-leading contributions to a losing team?   Man, do I find that respectable and deserving of great admiration?   It's easy to try your best to the roar of approving fanatics as they cheer their beloved winners......but to go out and dominate your competition as an individual while your team wallows in the cellar of their division and your fans heckle with scathing disappointment?   That's legendary, too.   In my opinion.   But would that player have been able to perform and produce and dominate under the microscope and pressure of the sport's post season?   We'll never know!

Love ya, Murph!

Does "contributions to a team" even make sense?   The player's contribution to a team should be, uh, fairly quantifiable and identical to their statistics, right?   If we go that route, then we really need to be careful when considering any importance being placed on a player's record when it comes to post season records, championships won, etc.   A player does not make the post season.   Teams win titles.   But players are elected to the Hall of Fame........

You had to see this coming...

            

See!  I love this stuff.   Life is baseball and baseball is life for many of us.   Life is also a philosophical cornucopia of thought-provoking conversations and debate.   A beautiful disaster.   A perfect game in a not-so perfect world.   Ergo.......we chat about it from time to time.

Thanks for chatting about it here with me!   I'd love to hear what you think and in the meantime....

Here we are!   It's December of 2012 and the ballots for another year of consideration have been sent out.   Who would you vote for?  

One quick thing I'd like to add - please note that I do not harbor an unhealthy hatred for BBWAA members or even sportswriters in general (especially those that vote for Donnie Baseball......).   Some of them have provided some of the very best things that I have ever had the pleasure of reading....they are responsible for Sports Illustrated and Golf Digest.   Baseball Weekly.   ESPN.   The countless sports books that are scattered throughout my basement.   The newspaper clippings that adorned my childhood bedroom.   Basically........almost everything that makes life possible for us sports fans!   So I am grateful for their talent and gifts - and understand that they haven't asked for the responsibility described above, established more than a century ago.   But it IS theirs to protect.

And, in some small, minuscule way......don't we fans who have ever put pen to paper about the sports that we love......kinda sorta qualify as one?   I've never been into self-loathing.  

     

That's no moon.....it's a LCS!

I recently had to take a day trip down to Charleston, SC and found myself with a few spare moments.

Cue the iPhone maps search (I don't have Siri capabilities yet): baseball cards

Results: Hooked on Cards (.2 miles away)

Sweet!

I tried to contain my excitement as I circled in on the alleged location.   I say 'alleged' because we've all been duped before by bad intel from internet-based searches.   Was the information up to date?   Was I headed towards a nail salon? Was it actually a Local Card Shop?

Jackpot:

OPEN

I hadn't been inside of an LCS since Columbia's last card shop,  Rudy's Upper Deck, closed its doors forever last year.   It's really one of my favorite kinds posts to read about on everyone's blogs - the card shop re-cap.   Napkin Doon's stories about "Cleve's" are some of my favorites.   Highly recommended to satiate your thirst if you find yourself in a hobby geographical doldrum - check 'em out here.   It conjures up images of a cardboard cornucopia.   Packs and singles and memorabilia and posters and magazines and supplies and.....and friends.   A local hobby shop is our "Cheers".   A place where people not only want to know your name but understand why you're excited to tell them about that super sweet Topps-Update-Series-All-Star-Game-Yankee-23/25-Tri-Relic that you pulled a couple of weeks ago.   My waitress at lunch that day didn't even know what I was talking about!

Gratuitous, yes.

  

If they're a really understanding bunch, they'll be patient when you fog the windows of their display case for half an hour and then walk out with nothing but supplies (Oh, I'm back to the LCS....not talking about fogging Jessica's case).   Not because you're a ruthless small business hater - no.   They know you're a collector because hey, they are, too!   And they know you have a method to your madness and......they know you'll be back.

Okay.  Maybe they knew I'd be back when I did a back flip in the parking lot and took a picture of their store?

Anyways - Hooked on Cards is a great hobby shop.   Most impressive to me was the flawless organization of their small space.   Divided by sport, you had bargain bins on the counter to leaf through with the more valuable singles and autographed pieces within the display case.   If you looked up, you would see shelves of row after row of unopened wax - conveniently labeled with name and price.

Ah!

They were very helpful and a pleasure to talk to.   I enjoyed my experience.   I cautiously asked how business was going......and breathed a huge sigh of relief when they said everything was going great.   They seem to have a very loyal following and are trying to incorporate a winning marketing strategy that builds the hobby network through trading, customer appreciation and quality.   Great job, guys.

I can't wait to go back and if you ever find yourself in the Charleston area - I recommend you check them out.   Here's their information:

Hooked Indeed

 Thanks for reading!