Grabbaggar goes to podcast land

Hey guys please everyone subscribe to the Grabbaggar Podcast where in episode one we talk all about the evolution of how we get store and listen to our music.

http://web.mac.com/garrettriley/Site_2/Podcast/Podcast.html

Click the Subscribe button while Itunes is open and you will be all set!

Kevin is Nine Years Old!!!

Big Happy Birthday to Kevin!!

Check out Mom's Post

http://tasha-lifeoftherileys.blogspot.com/

We have lived here for 5 years now!!

After counting down the days..we are finally free of Bakersfield!! This was taken the day we moved in and everyone helped us unpack.

Zach at 14 months just wanted to know that his toys made it safely to his new house

Since Tash and I got married 13 years ago..we have lived in four different houses: chico 6-97 -7-99: Ventura: 7-99-4-03 Bakersfield: 4-03- 6-05 and now Valencia..making this the longest we have lived in any one house. After thinking about moving down to San Clemente, we reconsidered and remained here...enjoying our comfortable, happy, roots. We love living in Santa Clarita...it is it's own oasis ringed 360 degrees by mountains and foothills...A great place to raise kids with great schools and great weather...it is only 30 miles from downtown LA but one never has to leave...and if it's roller coasters you like...well guess what boy...we got the best in the world right here.

(: Anyways...just wanted to mark our 5 year anniversary of living here on Via Elisandra

13th Anniversary

13 Years ago on a blistering hot Chico Saturday...two college lovebirds decided to tie the knot.

HAPPY 13Th To Tasha and I!!!

John Wooden

What a great life he lived

Changes that made the game better? You be the judge

1876: Curveballs are ruled "legal" purists cry that this will wreck the game as baseball is a 'gentlemens' game and it is immoral for the pitcher to try to "deceive" the hitter

1920: Baseballs are now wound tighter and unlike previously the object of the defense is not to try to scuff up and blacken the ball...henceforth, a new white ball must be brought into play whenever an existing one if scuffed. Hitters now have a much greater advantage.

1969: The mound is lowered...no longer can Bob Gibson with his season long 1.12 ERA dominate the way he did previously...advantage hitter

1970: The DH is implemented in the American League only...a revolutionary and major rule change.

1992 and forward: The dimensions of the parks become smaller...with Camden Yards leading the way of the new retro parks....Hitters have a huge advantage....Dodger Stadiums massive foul territory is covered over with Dugout club and baseline box seats...it is unlikely that anyone will ever score again from 2nd on a wild pitch a la Kirk Gibson in 1988.

1998? Interleague play

2009: Limited instant replay arrives in MLB: utilized only on disputed home run calls

Expanding the use of instant replay will not hurt MLB...it will make the game better..no more 2009 ALCS where the umpiring was despicable...etc..etc...and expanding replay is no where near as drastic a change as the lowering of the mound...Where were you captain in 1969? Were you speaking out against the mound change then? It is akin to widening the distance of the plate right? Were you upset about it..was the change good? Has it hurt baseball? Why or Why not?

How to make MLB better (and make sure yesterdays disgrace never happens again)

A perfect game is one of if not the hardest thing to accomplish in professional sports. Only 20 have ever achieved it (Two earlier this season ironically) And yesterday we saw something that has never before happened in the history of baseball. The Umpire called the runner safe on what was a clear out and therefore the play was officially scored a hit, thus stealing the perfect game from Galarraga. Did this happen in the 4th inning? NO! It happened on the final play of the game!!

The Umpire immediately realized his mistake upon looking at the replay, and tearfully apologized to everyone who would listen. Today Selig the inept commissioner of baseball did not reverse the call.

This is 2010 not 1953...we have the technology to eliminate this kind of thing, and do it in a way which ironically will speed up the game. The NFL uses instant replay, so does the NHL, and Tennis has the most foolproof system of all...and it's great!! Here is what I propose...

• Today two doubles were overturned in MLB ironically and called homeruns due to instant replay!! Time to expand it..
• Utilize a replay ump to review these plays
• Outlaw the silly arguments where the manager or coach flings his hat and kicks the dirt and jaws with the ump..(these take time)...instead..give each manager 2 challenges per game.....just like the NFL..these can be done quickly
• In critical "game is on the line" situations...any close play must automatically be reviewed by the replay ump......
• In closing...the great game is better than this...we are better than this....humans beings evolve, we get better.....I'm not proposing we change the distance from the mound to the plate..or make it 4 strikes instead of 3..I'm saying we use technology to make right calls to protect the integrity of the game!

While on the subject of MLB..here is another suggestion to help make the games come in around 2.5 hours..like Hockey does, and like Basketball does......

• No more 7th inning singing of "God Bless America"!!!
• No more batters stepping out of the box
• No more pitchers taking a lap around the mound
• Teach pitchers not to be "strikeout" pitchers
• Limit team conferences on the mound to 3 per game (just like a timeout in the other sports---in Hockey each team gets only one 30 second time out!)
• No more managers running onto the field of play to argue calls (this doesn't happen in the other 3 sports)
• Make a foul territory rule where the field must be a certain size of foul territory...(The way Dodger Stadium used to be) This will increase the frequency of outs.

Thoughts? Suggestions?