When my beloved Aunt Ida (aleha hashalom) was working on getting her education degree, Pennsylvania kept increasing the number of credits required for a teaching license. She’d earn six credits and they’d raise the requirement by six credits. It was not in her nature to get discouraged. Ever. But she did joke that it would say on her tombstone: She finally made it!
I tell that story because of Yankee great Don Mattingly. He’ll be participating in his first World Series this year as a coach for the Blue Jays at the age of 64. He finally made it! He starred for the Yankees during their World Series drought (1982-1995) and managed the Dodgers during theirs (2010-2015).
BTW, my Aunt Ida had a great career as an elementary school teacher in Pittsburgh. She regaled us with stories of her kids. Here’s one: She was teaching “Creative Dramatics” in an inner city school, a position she invented and wrote a handbook about. She put on plays with the students. In one third grade play, one scene called for several little girl mice to be playing on stage and they are surprised by a cat (a boy), and run away. Well, on performance night, when the cat jumped out to scare them, instead of running, they turned and beat the crap out of him. She could go on for hours with stories like that. (Miss you, Aunt Ida.)
The owls always root for the bird teams and so will root for the Blue Jays in the World Series. And so will we. But the Dodgers are a likable bunch: Mookie, Freddie, and Shohei. It looks like Bo Bichette is returning (from injury) for the Jays and we’re hoping the Series will be tightly contested. As of now, the gambling people give the Dodgers a 69% chance of winning. We’ll see.
If you weren’t watching Game 7 last night, Seattle took a 3-1 lead into the seventh. Woo had pitched two strong innings, but just missed his ball four pitch to put the leadoff batter on. Ominous. The next batter was the weak-hitting Kiner-Falefa, but Woo put him on too, via a single. The wheels weren’t off the bus yet, but they were wobbling pretty badly. Gimenez laid down a sweet sacrifice bunt and then this: Springer sprang. He’s one of those players who doesn’t get the press like Judge or Ohtani, but he’s a crucial figure in whatever lineup he’s in. Last night: Boom!
The “aforementioned” Don Mattingly (the very same), had some tsouris in his life. He married his wife Kim when he was just 18, and they had three sons. But she was an alcoholic and it ruined the marriage. They divorced at the end of his playing career. [Their son Preston is the GM of the Phils.] Don remarried when he was 49 and had another son with his second wife at the age of 53. Mattingly’s playing career, entirely with the Yankees, was marred only by its brevity. Back problems cut it short. He was the AL MVP in 1985 and an all-star six times. He won nine Gold Gloves. His lifetime batting average was .307. More importantly, he has always been a mensch.
A controversy arose when Mattingly’s hair length ran afoul of the Yankee grooming rules. Steinbrenner was insisting he get a haircut but Mattingly was miffed and refused. He was benched! It was played up big in the press but was quickly resolved by Mattingly caving, but not really — the haircut he got removed virtually nothing, but allowed Steinbrenner to save face, or, in this case, scalp. It got Mattingly a spot on a Simpsons episode.
In the puzzle today, at 17A, “Redwood or cottonwood” was TREE. And an ACORN didn’t fall too far from it, at 55A, clued with “Nut-brown hue.” Some folks (me included) weren’t aware that there’s a color called acorn. One Anony Mouse wrote: As an old professional illustrator/cartoonist, trust me. “Acorn” is not and never has been a color. (And get off my lawn!!)
But commenter kitshef found it as Benjy Moore’s #1125. And here it is in skirt form:
kitshef went on to note: “BTW, their 2026 color of the year is ‘silhouette,’ which is described as ‘reminiscent of tailored suiting, this elegant color weaves rich espresso hues with refined notes of charcoal.’”
Wife: I think I heard someone downstairs. You better go check.
Husband: Okay, you wait here.
Husband: Hey, what are you doing here?
Burglar: I have a gun. Don’t make me use it.
Husband: Okay, okay. Calm down. You can have whatever you want. I have cash and jewels in that safe over there. How about I open it, you take it all, and leave?
Burglar: Never mind that crap. Where’s your kid’s toy chest?
Husband: What?
Burglar: You heard me!! Show me the f*cking toy chest or I’ll blow your head off!!
If you are wondering what the hell is going on, look no further than this story in the NYT: “When detectives from the Santa Rosa PD arrived at a house in Lake County, Calif., on Monday, they discovered what looked like a Lego crime scene. Plastic figurines were everywhere, their heads removed from their bodies and organized in neat rows by facial expression (see photo, below). Tubs and bins brimmed with loose pieces — tens of thousands of them, according to the police — and were scattered across desks in the living room. Unopened sets lined the hallway floors. An investigation that began last month culminated in the arrest of Robert Lopez, 39. He had stolen more than $6,000 worth of the popular toys.”
Detective Jim Bradshaw put aside a pirate ship he was working on and explained: “Limited edition Lego sets can cost up to $1,000 and are becoming collector’s items. A Lego Spiderman figurine was valued at $15,000 recently.”
Upon his arrest, in addition to demanding a call to his lawyer, Mr. Lopez requested that he be allowed to put his shoes on. “I’m tired of stepping on these goddam f*ckin’ things at 3 am on my way to the john.” Okay, Lopez, but hurry it up.
Are you going to the Mozart concert tonight?
No, I’m Bizet.
Better stop. See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 