Baseball really never sleeps as it is always summer somewhere, where there is always hope and the prospect of a double play on a green lawn as quiet attention is paid from the stands. It is good then that the New York Times runs a major baseball story every day even when it is -1F outside with a -25F wind chill in upstate New York, in the sorts of towns where John McGraw and Christy Mathewson, as Frank tells me, honed their skills that framed the game played one hundred years later. In today's story another great is discussed:

There was once a time when no one wanted to hire Willie Randolph. He was interviewed 12 times for managerial openings, and 12 times he was turned down. One team, however, took a calculated chance, and now the Mets will not let Randolph go.

I like Randolf like I like Felipe Alou, even though Willie is not Canadian. A quiet manager that gets the most out of his players in a massive and disruptive market. Once again, I can pray for a Mets and Red Sox World Series in nine months.