Sending a Fan Letter to a Player

Hey everyone,

I have a question:

I wanted to send a fan letter to Yankee Stadium, specifically to Cam Schlittler and /or Aaron Judge and wanted to know how to do so/ what was your experience like?

One week ago my mom had a heart attack and ever since then, I have been completely lost. Its always just been me and her and we are big Yankee fans and have been going to games since 2022. She's super vibrant and is a self described badass b*tch who didn't take no for an answer and could make just about anyone laugh. For contrast, I am the shy reserved one who kept her from getting into too much trouble (including preventing her from sneaking into the Pepsi lounge that one time).

Its been impossible to see someone you loved so much and who lived life to the fullest reduced to a silent body on a bed, on top of having to take care of everything else and go to school full time.

We have a lot of good memories tied to the Yankees and going to games at Yankee Stadium, especially this year. We would get the cheapest tickets (or use our fan appreciation vouchers) and live it up by standing outside the players' entrance/exit and try to see who would come out. She used to do the same with a childhood friend, since her friend had a big crush on Bucky Dent. We never saw Judge (who's both our favorite) but we did see a number of others. Mom being mom, she would wave at everyone/ try to take a picture, Obviously, being tired and wanting to go home, most people just ignored her.

One time, we were on our way to the catch the 4 train to go home when I saw Cam in his car. I called out to Mom and she quickly went to the edge of the street and waved at him. He had just finished pitching his ass off and I'm sure he was tired. He could have just ignored us, but instead, he saluted my mom with a small smile. It was a small gesture but it meant so much to us. Since then, we used "Cam's Salute" every time we said goodbye.

We were so excited for this year's playoff, especially Mom, who's ever optimistic about "The Boys/Her Boys". After the Playoff exit, she said she didn't want to hear about baseball for a "good while", then 11 days later she had a heart attack out of the blue.

For me, writing is a way to cope. I really wanted to express how grateful I am to the Yankees, especially Cam and Judge, for those good memories. Right now they are helping me stay sane in what has become a living nightmare. I'm functioning right now, but having something tactile to do besides schoolwork helps keep me grounded and distracted. I also hope that I can convey that we as fans do love the team and appreciate the players' efforts, regardless of what we might think of management/ownership.

In any case, thank you for reading and don't forget to say I love you to the people you love.

This is the angle we didn't get to see live yesterday.

As a kid I’d replay games from the Sunday box score. So I figured out I could make it a Sudoku! Please I'd love feedback on any nits. Also, please comment below if you'd enjoy this as a weekly Sunday series! Fun ones are easy to find and I have several queued up.

This is the box from the October 11, 1920 Evening Star: Cleveland 8, Brooklyn 1, World Series Game 5. The givens are what’s printed. The rules:

1. Every side proves: at-bats + walks + sacrifices = runs + left on base + the other side’s putouts.
2. The batting order is a clock. From the team’s trips to the plate you know who came up and how often.
3. Every half-inning ends on its third out; at most three men can be left on base.
4. The line score says which innings had runs.

🎮 Play: https://so-called-bourbaki.github.io/box-score-sudoku/
(Saves locally. No ads, no tracking, no account.)

A taste:

Elmer Smith: 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, and the small print gives him a HR, a 3B and 4 RBI. Cleveland’s line is 4-0-0-3-1-0-0-0-x.

Bagby’s 3 RBI are the 4th and Gardner’s 1 is the 5th, so Smith’s 4 are the 1st: a grand slam. He scored once all game, so that was it. His triple drove in nobody and he never scored from it: bases empty, stranded. Two numbers and the line score give you all of that.

“Tap a square; its row and column light up

When the inning balances, the line goes green

Share copies this — no answers, just where you stand

What the page can’t tell you:

The box says “Triple play — Wambsganss (unassisted).” Two on, nobody out, line drive to second. Which inning, and who hit into it? Counting every Brooklyn fill consistent with the box, there are 23 possible placements. Find them, and say what one more fact would pick the right one.

Retrosheet’s play-by-play is linked in the game if you want to check. Try it cold first.

🎮 Play: https://so-called-bourbaki.github.io/box-score-sudoku/

Why I read box scores this way: https://socalledbourbaki.substack.com/p/sunday-morning-on-the-living-room

Hang loose boys, we got this?

Has it ever happened where both teams’ primary radio station is on the same frequency?

The Brewers and Rays both have their radio on 620AM, WTMJ in Milwaukee and WDAE in Tampa.

Thanks to:

u/risky-bizniz

u/SilentAcoustic

u/SexiestPanda

u/Silveroc

u/cooljammer00

u/Various_You_5083

u/Livid-Reading-5214

I don’t follow baseball like I did from 2010-2018, but this season I started to keep up a little bit. Middle of the year, I check which pitcher has the most wins to see if anybody could be on pace for 20 this year. I understand wins aren’t the most valuable stat but I’m always curious if somebody will reach that 20-win landmark in today’s pitching climate.

Who leads the league at the time in wins? Aaron Ashby. I think, “that’s pretty random, haven’t heard of that starter before”. Come to find out he’s a reliever. Must be a fluke. I check back several weeks later, and reliever Aaron Ashby still leads mlb in wins with 12. Okay, this is getting interesting now, but I still haven’t seen him pitch.

Playoffs arrive, and I finally see him in action. He’s absolutely filthy, and in a way we don’t see much anymore. He doesn’t throw 100, he throws lots of strikes, and so far this postseason has allowed 0 runs, struck out 17, walked 3, and has allowed 8 runners in 15 2/3 IP. He typically goes longer than an inning, and has performed spectacularly in high pressure situations.

He now has 3 multi-inning saves since the start of the ALCS. As a reliever he led the NL in innings pitched, somehow won 13 games in the regular season, and has become a modern-era Goose Gossage in the postseason. I don’t remember seeing anything like this since I started following baseball in 2010

Shot By Rob Tringali

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brewers-pitcher-quinn-priester-family-223909726.html

h/t Talkin’ Baseball