Almost perfect

What a day.

Were it not for the fact that my right kidney's stones are now moving and causing agony, yesterday would have been perfect.

First and foremost: My dear friends Dewayne Lawson and Bridget Trogden are the proud parents of a new son, Jacob Paul Lawson. Mother and son are doing fine. Proud papa made my day when he called.

Tears filled my eyes when I heard the boy's name.

The legendary Ernie Harwell, 80-something years young, was the guest commentator on the Tigers game yesterday afternoon. Ernie's the best of the best.

He tells a great story during the game about a Tigers player who began his career here in Knoxville when the Smokies were a Tigs affiliate in the sixties. After a while the player was sent to the old Atlanta Crackers. Ernie says the Crackers' stadium sported a sign in left that read "Hit it here and win a pint of whiskey."

That Cracker became a switch hitter.

Detroit took care of the Los Angeles Angels in high fashion 12-0. Jeremy Bonderman mixed his 90 mph fastball and nasty slider rather well for eight innings. His final line was 4 hits, 0 earned runs, 5 walks and 6 strikeouts.

Ernie watches a lot of baseball these days. He catches games on the radio, reads coverage in the newspaper. He's also a popular speaker on the circuit.

"If a guy burps in a movie house, I give a speech," he jokes.

Perfect afternoon it was for baseball in Motown. Packed house, loud fans. There's something special, almost ethereal, about day baseball. Seeing the boys sporting the old English D in the bright sunshine, backed by that velvet Southern voice, conjures up the intangible something that was once great about this game.

Last night, crafty Atlanta veteran John Smoltz shut down the New York Mets to earn his 200th win. The Braves are within a stone's throw of first place.

Almost perfect, man. Almost perfect.