Texas High School Baseball Fields or Stadiums Visited - 13

Grizzly Field (Grand Oaks High School), Spring, TX (The Woodlands College Park 1, Conroe Grand Oaks 0) - 3/12/2024

Knight Field (Bellville High School), Bellville, TX (Bellville 3, Columbus 1) - 2/26/2024

Lee Roy Ashmore Field at Delmar Stadium (HISD), Houston, TX (Galena Park 3, Houston Waltrip 0) - 3/11/2024

Magnolia Baseball Field (Magnolia High School), Magnolia, TX (Tomball 14, Magnolia 3) - 4/13/2024

SCHS Baseball Field (Summer Creek High School), Humble, TX (Beaumont West Brook 4, Humble Summer Creek 2) - 3/14/2024

Neutral Sites

Ballparks at Crosby (Crosby High School), Crosby, TX (Cy-Fair 6, Clear Springs 5) - 5/24/2024
Bearkat Park (Klein High School), Spring, TX (Conroe Oak Ridge 4, Spring 0) - 5/2/2024

Herrington Field (Lee High School), Baytown, TX (League City Clear Springs 6, Houston Strake Jesuit 3) - 5/4/2024

Lobo Field (Langham Creek High School), Houston, TX (Montgomery Lake Creek 6, Houston Milby 3) - 5/6/2022

Lufkin Panther Baseball Stadium (Lufkin High School), Lufkin, TX (Centerville 5, Garrison 1) - 5/15/2024

Mustang Ballpark (Madisonville High School), Madisonville, TX (Kerens 1, Shelbyville 0 - 5/23/2024
Rusk ISD Baseball Field (Rusk High School), Rusk, TX (Chester 3, Neches 1 - 5/25/2024)

Wildcat Stadium (Cypress Woods High School), Cypress, TX (Orangefield 4, Rockdale 1) - 5/22/2024

Miles and Miles - 4/25/24 to 5/24/24

April 25 - May 24 - 11.19 miles running - 26.76 miles walking - 61.05 miles walking (Apple Health) - 0 miles cycling (using 9 miles = 30 minutes) - 82,206 meters rowing - 927 minutes elliptical - 208,689 steps

April 25 (Thursday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 384 calories; 5,816 strides) - 24:43 rowing for 5,017 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:31/500m) - 2.4 miles walking (Apple Health) - 6,084 steps

April 26 (Friday) - 4.5 miles walking on Spring Creek Greenway Trail (1:06:17/14:44) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 381 calories; 5,748 strides) - 1.3 miles walking (Apple Health) - 11,355 steps

April 27 (Saturday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 385 calories; 5,856 strides) - 20.9 miles walking (Apple Health) - 41,896 steps

April 28 (Sunday) - 1.9 miles walking (Apple Health) - 4,505 steps

April 29 (Monday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 383 calories; 5,790 strides) - 25:08 rowing for 5,020 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:31/500m) - 1.45 miles walking (Apple Health) - 3,661 steps

April 30 (Tuesday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 382 calories; 5,774 strides) - 4.5 miles walking on Spring Creek Greenway Trail (1:07:49/15:04) - 1.1 miles walking (Apple Health) - 11,370 steps

May 1 (Wednesday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 387 calories; 5,886 strides) - 4.19 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:02:03.16 / 14:49) - 24:32 rowing for 5,009 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:28/500m) - 1.11 miles walking (Apple Health) - 10,646 steps

May 2 (Thursday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 380 calories; 5,730 strides) - 25:00 rowing for 5,012 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:27/500m) - 1.11 miles walking (Apple Health) - 2,806 steps

May 3 (Friday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 384 calories; 5,828 strides) - 24:48 rowing for 5,010 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:25/500m) - 1 mile walking (Apple Health) - 2,445 steps

May 4 (Saturday) - 4 miles running along The Woodlands Waterway (41:35.43 / 10:24) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 380 calories; 5,732 strides) - 14:57 rowing for 3,010 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:29/500m) - 2 miles walking (Apple Health) - 11,161 steps

May 5 (Sunday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 376 calories; 5,664 strides) - 90 seconds plank - 24:54 rowing for 5,013 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:30/500m) - 0.92 miles walking (Apple Health) - 2,099 steps

May 6 (Monday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 385 calories; 5,844 strides) - 24:27 rowing for 5,013 meters (27 strokes/min.; 2:27/500m) - 1.6 miles walking (Apple Health) - 3,970 steps

May 7 (Tuesday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 381 calories; 5,738 strides) - 1.2 miles walking (Apple Health) - 2,866 steps

May 8 (Wednesday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 382 calories; 5,768 strides) - 24:08 rowing for 5,008 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:23/500m) - 2.7 miles walking (Apple Health) - 7,031 steps

May 9 (Thursday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 381 calories; 5,760 strides) - 24:23 rowing for 5,010 meters (27 strokes/min.; 2:23/500m) - 1 mile walking (Apple Health) - 2,558 steps

May 10 (Friday) - 2.5 miles walking (Apple Health) - 6,183 steps

May 11 (Saturday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 385 calories; 5,832 strides) - 24:06 rowing for 5,010 meters (27 strokes/min.; 2:22/500m) - 115 seconds plank - 1 mile walking (Apple Health) - 2,484 steps

May 12 (Sunday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 382 calories; 5,776 strides) - 0.71 miles walking (Apple Health) - 1,577 steps

May 13 (Monday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 383 calories; 5,776 strides) - 24:08 rowing for 5,016 meters (27 strokes/min.; 2:26/500m) - 0.65 miles walking (Apple Health) - 1,408 steps

May 14 (Tuesday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 384 calories; 5,814 strides) - 24:35 rowing for 5,012 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:24/500m) - 1 mile walking (Apple Health) - 2,242 steps

May 15 (Wednesday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 383 calories; 5,798 strides) - 14:22 rowing for 3,012 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:24/500m) - 1.4 miles walking (Apple Health) - 3,415 steps

May 16 (Thursday) - 4.19 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:03:43.13 / 15:12) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 380 calories; 5,728 strides) - 0.61 miles walking (Apple Health) - 9,493 steps

May 17 (Friday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 385 calories; 5,832 strides) - 29:27 rowing for 6,007 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:28/500m) - 1.2 miles walking (Apple Health) - 2,945 steps

May 18 (Saturday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 384 calories; 5,814 strides) - 1.7 miles walking (Apple Health) - 4,053 steps

May 19 (Sunday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 385 calories; 5,838 strides) - 24:53 rowing for 5,011 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:29/500m) - 3 miles running around Memorial Park with Waverly (32:27.52 / 10:49) - 1 mile walk in Memorial Park with Waverly (16:13.56) - 1 mile walking (Apple Health) - 9,154 steps

May 20 (Monday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 385 calories; 5,848 strides) - 24:24 rowing for 5,016 meters (28 strokes/min.; 2:25/500m) - 0.46 miles walking (Apple Health) - 1,013 steps

May 21 (Tuesday) - 4.19 miles running along The Woodlands Waterway (44:19.33 / 10:35) - 36 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 425 calories; 6,267 strides) - 1.71 miles - 10,721 steps

May 22 (Wednesday) - 4.19 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway // 15:06 pace - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 383 calories; 5,794 strides) - 1.21 miles - 10,780 steps

May 23 (Thursday) - 4.19 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:03:21.99 / 15:07) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 384 calories; 5,802 strides) - 1.21 miles walking (Apple Health) - 10,999 steps

May 24 (Friday) - 33 minutes on Precor Elliptical (Weight Loss; 385 calories; 5,824 strides) - 3 miles walking (Apple Health) - 7,769 steps

Books Bought at Waco Half Price Books Outlet on 4/4/24 - 11 (Finished 3)

"A History of Tyler Junior College 1926 - 1986" by Linda Brown Cross and Robert W. Glover

"Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions" by Ben Mezrich

"Hiroshima" by John Hershey

"Jesus or Nothing" by Dan DeWitt

"Sam Patch, the Famous Jumper" by Paul E. Johnson

"The May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising" by The May 18 History Compilation Committee of Gwangju

"The Race Before Us: A Journey of Running and Faith" by Bruce H. Matson

"Then There Were Six: The True Story of the 1944 Rangoon Disaster" by Karnig Thomasian

"Journey to Excellence: The Story of My Life and Faith" by Ken Johnson (Finished 5/24/2024)

"Surprise the World: The Five Habits of Highly Missional People" by Michael Frost (Finished 4/13/2024)

"The Once and Future Liberal:  After Identity Politics" by Mark Lilla (Finished 4/20/2024)

Books Bought at Waco Half-Price Books Outlet on 3/25/23 - 10 (Finished 4)

"A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball", by Dwayne Wade

"A Game Plan for Life: The Power of Mentoring", by John Wooden with Don Yeager

"Running with the Buffaloes", by Chris Lear

"The Home Team: Of Mothers, Daughters, and American Champions", by Ruth Ann & Rebecca Lobo

"The Theology of the Hammer", by Millard Fuller

"The Worth of a Man", by Dave Dravecky with Connie W. Neal

"Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big", by Jose Canseco (Finished 5/3/24)

"Playing to Win: Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys", by David Magee (Finished 4/9/23)

"The GM: The Inside Story of a Dream Job and the Nightmares that Go with It", by Tom Callahan (Finished 4/21/23)

"Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs", by Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand with Malcolm MacPherson (Finished 4/29/23)

Books Bought at College Station Half Price Books Outlet on 3/30/24 - 4 (Finished 3)

"Quanah Centennial: 1884-1984" by Eva Kay Tole ($3)

"First Dooowwwnnn . . . and Life to Go!: How an Enthusiastic Approach Changed Everything for the Most Colorful Referee in NFL History" by Red Cashion with Rusty Burson ($7) (Finished 4/5/2024)

"No Easy Game: His own story in his own words" by Terry Bradshaw with Charles Paul Conn ($5) (Finished 5/4/2024)

"Rookie: When Michael Jordan Came To The Minor Leagues" by Jim Patton ($5) (Finished 4/10/2024)

Saturday, May 11, 2024

 Quiet, but good day.

Was beat from the drive up and back to Arlington for a pair of contests at the TAPPS state baseball and softball championships.

Spent a good bit of the day updating results from those events on Saturday as well as the THSLL and TGHSLL lacrosse championships in Magnolia and Friendswood, respectively.

My daughter came over before we took my parents out to eat at Pappasito's for Mother's Day.  We went to the one in Shenandoah.

It was busy.  Can't imagine what is was like today.  And thankfully my Mom called ahead to get a 5 p.m. reservation.

We had a good time.  My Dad and I - in a good way - almost got into it over private school athletics recruiting.  

He had referenced an article in the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror, back home, about somebody who was commenting on legislation introducted to send public and privates to separate playoffs in Pennsylvana high school athletics.

He went on to say that a school recruiting and in essence in giving a free scholarship to recruit top players.  I felt like he was painting all of private schools as doing that - maybe not so much in word, but the tone behind those words - when they clearly don't.  I just said that we would have to disagree on that.  I wasn't going to change his mind, regardless.

It was OK, surprisingly.  In the past, I might have held on to it for awhile.

On the drive back to the house (my daughter spent the night here as she was going to church this morning with her Mom), I asked her what she thought and she said that she and my Mom looked at each other and were like, "Oh no!"

Like I said, it ended OK.  

After coming back to the house, I had wanted to get out and see a movie, but some of the things that I was working on didn't allow me to get out when I wanted to to see what I thought I was going to be able to make.

Also started to research when I would be able to see the Texas Collegiate League teams in Louisiana as well as the new Mid-America Baseball League.

Always planning something.

Friday, May 10, 2024

Quick up and back trip to Arlington for the first day of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) state baseball and softball tournaments.

Went primarily for two purposes:

1.) To see my good friend Mike Jackson's Shiner St. Paul Catholic softball team take on Hallettsville Sacred Heart and, 

2.) To see a baseball game at another ballpark, Clay Gould Ballpark, which is the home field for the University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks.

I had previously seen a college softball game at the softball venue, Allen Saxe Field, back in 2020, just before the start of the pandemic.

The Lady Cardinals lost to an Indianette team that hit four home runs, including two three-run dingers, by a score of 16 to 6.

It is always great to visit with Mike.  I had the opportunity to meet his wife Tracy for the first time ever.  She and their son, Maverick, had actually say in the team area in what is normally the UTA radio booth, which is a place where TAPPS administrator Robert Huckabee said I could sit.

I said in other places that TAPPS treats me well and I'm grateful for that.

I left, went and checked off another Half Price Books in South Arlington - my 12th - and got lunch at a Whataburger along S. Cooper, my 235th.

I came back to the ballpark area and had to park at the overflow lot near Maverick Stadium.  No big deal, but navigating through the carpool line at the elementary school to get there was an experience.

The third baseball game of the day - at 4:30 p.m. - was a rematch between St. Paul and Sacred Heart.

The boys avenged the loss of the female classmates and defeated the Indians, 5-1, giving up a run in the 7th to spoil the shutout.

There were a number of places I would have liked to have run a race without having to go further north, including Hewitt and Madisonville, but hotels in Waco, Bryan-College Station and even Huntsville were all booked up and the prices way up because of graduations at Baylor, Texas A&M and Sam Houston State.

It was a long drive home, getting back to the house close to midnight and not getting to put my head down until about 12:40 a.m.

Grateful for safe travels, always.

Book Bought at South Arlington Half Price Books on 5/10/24 - 1 (Finished 0)

"Shattering The Glass: The Remarkable History Of Women's Basketball" by Pamela Grundy & Susan Shackelford

Texas Private and Parochial HS Baseball Fields Visited - 16

Home
Bay Area Christian School, League City (Houston Northland Christian 7, Pasadena First Baptist Christian 0 - 5/13/22 - TAPPS Division III Regional Playoff)

Concordia Lutheran High School (Rick Lynch Field), Tomball (Tomball Concordia Lutheran 11, Katy St. John XXIII 2 - 3/18/22)

Conroe Covenant Christian (Cougar Baseball Field), Conroe (Conroe Covenant Christian 10, Bryan Allen Academy 0 - 4/11/24)

Houston Northland Christian School (Cougar Field), Houston (Houston Northland Christian 10, Tomball Rosehill Christian 0 - 3/26/24) - Patrick Walker

Houston St. Francis Episcopal (Memorial Park), Houston (Houston St. Francis Episcopal 21, Bryan Allen Academy 0 - 3/7/24)

Houston St. Pius X (St. Pius X High School Baseball Field), Houston (Houston St. Pius X 5, Houston St. Thomas 0 - 3/23/24)

Houston Second Baptist School (Michael Stevens Field), Houston (Beaumont Kelly 3, Houston Second Baptist 1 - 3/22/24) - Mike Walker, Beck Brydon

Houston Second Baptist School - University Model (Schwartz Park), Houston (Houston St. Francis Episcopal 11, Houston Second Baptist - UM 0 - 3/5/24)

Northside Falcons Homeschool (Carl Barton, Jr. Park), Conroe (Northside Falcons Homeschool 18, West Houston Thunder Homeschool 9 - 4/1/24)

Spring Frassati Catholic (Rothwood Baseball Complex), Spring (Houston Lutheran South Academy 14, Spring Frassati Catholic 1 - 4/5/24)

The Woodlands Christian Academy (Warrior Field), The Woodlands (League City Bay Area Christian d. Cypress Christian School - 5/14/22 - TAPPS Division II Regional Playoff)
The Woodlands John Cooper School (Field Family Diamond at Finnie Park), The Woodlands (The Woodlands John Cooper School 11, The Woodlands Legacy Prep Christian Academy 8 - 2/27/24)

Waco Live Oak Classical School (Falcon Park), Waco (Waco Live Oak Classical School 13, Bryan Brazos Christian 9 - 4/5/24)

Neutral

Clay Gould Ballpark, Arlington (Shiner St. Paul 5, Hallettsville Sacred Heart 1 - 5/10/24 - TAPPS Division V Semifinal)

Panther Stadium, Sheldon (Beaumont Kelly 8, Houston Lutheran South Academy 2 - 5/7/24 - TAPPS Division II Regional Championship)

Strickland Field at Veterans Memorial Park, Weimar (San Antonio Central Catholic 11, Houston St. Pius X 1 - 5/14/22 - TAPPS Division I Regional Playoff)

Different Buc-ee's (28 of 49)

01 - Lake Jackson (Oyster Creek) - 1/5/2019

12 - Port Lavaca - 7/14/2017

14 - Alvin - 3/19/2023

16 - Giddings - 4/29/2016

17 - Luling - 4/13/2019

18 - Waller - 9/13/2013

19 - Pearland (S. Main St.) - 3/20/2021

20 - Pearland (Shadow Creek Pkwy) - 4/16/2023

22 - New Braunfels - 11/27/2021

23 - League City - 6/25/2023

24 - Eagle Lake - 10/13/2023

25 - Angleton (W. Mulberry St.) - 1/28/2024

26 - Madisonville - 5/9/2014

28 - Bastrop - 4/26/2019

30 - Wharton - 3/26/2021

31 - Richmond - 3/26/2021

32 - Cypress - 4/25/2021

33 - Texas City - 10/15/2016

34 - Baytown - 5/9/2015

35 - Temple - 11/30/2019

36 - Terrell - 6/5/2021

37 - Fort Worth - 8/19/2018

38 - Royse City - 7/2/2022

39 - Denton - 6/6/2021

40 - Katy - 6/16/2018

43 - Leeds, Alabama - 6/11/2022

44 - Melissa - 7/3/2022

48 - Ennis - 7/12/2020

02 - Lake Jackson (N. Hwy 2004) - 

03 - Brazoria (N. Brooks) - 

05 - Brazoria (S. Brooks) - Closed

07 - Freeport (E. Hwy 332) - 

08 - Freeport (N. Brazosport Blvd.) - 

13 - Angleton (E. Mulberry St.) - 

21 - Angleton (Loop 274) - 

29 - Lake Jackson (Hwy 332) - 

42 - Loxley (Robertsdale), Alabama - 

45 - Sevierville, Tennessee - 

46 - Saint Augustine, Florida - 

47 - Daytona Beach, Florida - 

50 - Crossville, Tennessee -

51 - Warner Robins (Fort Valley), Georgia - 

52 - Calhoun (Adairsville), Georgia - 

53 - Florence, South Carolina - 

55 - Richmond, Kentucky - 

57 - Athens, Alabama - 

58 - Auburn, Alabama - 

59 - Hillsboro, Texas - 

60 - Johnstown, Colorado - 

62 - Springfield, Missouri - 

Books Bought at Waco Half-Price Books Outlet on 5/27/23 - 11 (Finished 5)

"Blood Brothers: The Unforgettable Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel" by Elias Chacour with David Hazard

"Fear No Evil: A Test of Faith, a Courageous Church, and an Unfailing God" by Brady Boyd

"The August Coup: The Truth and the Lessons" by Mikhail S. Gorbachev

"The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity: How Modern Culture Is Robbing Billions of People of Happiness" by Matthew Kelly

"The Golden Boys: Unauthorized Inside Look at the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team" by Cameron Stauth

"The Last Leaf on the Tree: How to Make the Most of the Rest of Your Life" by Paul W. Powell

"Believe: My Faith and the Tackle That Changed My Life" by Eric LeGrand with Mike Yorkey (Finished 1/8/24)

"Field of Hope: An Inspiring Autobiography of a Lifetime of Overcoming Odds" by Brett Butler and Jerry B. Jenkins (Finished 6/20/23)

"God is Able" by Priscilla Shirer (Finished 5/31/23)
"The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity: How Modern Culture Is Robbing Billions of People of Happiness" by Matthew Kelly (Finished 6/25/23)

"Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life" by Earl Woods with Pete McDaniel (Finished 5/1/24)