Running from Yankee Stadium to Wrigley Field

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a virtual 5K I ran, as Tony of Wrigley Roster Jenga was the race director.

I mentioned in that post how much I hate running, so I won't re-hash that. However, it's a cheap way for me to stay somewhat in shape as I get older, so I do it. Usually against my will. When I was younger someone told me: "never let your legs get old." I didn't listen.

One thing I realized though, is that when I run for a cause or have something to push me, it comes a little easier.

So when I got an email about the Yankees holding a virtual 5K of their own, I decided to register. For those who don't know, a virtual 5K is just like a regular one, but each participant does it on their own course on their own time. Runners don't gather at a park or in the streets for an early run. You clock 3.1 miles on your own, and usually upload your time to a website (if you choose).

The Yankees were also offering some cool swag for signing up. Check it out:

The medal is pretty cool, as is the shirt. It's actually a pretty nice shirt, and not one you might typically get for a 5K. You know, the ones with 500 local sponsors on the back.

So I got a bib, a shirt, and a finisher medal. And what was left of my entry fee when to Covid-19 outreach. Pretty cool! I did log my official time, although I wasn't pleased with it, as it was about 30 seconds slower than the time I ran for Tony Burbs' 5K. Boo, me!

Hoping to do another one, I googled "MLB virtual 5K" and found a slew of offerings. The Dodgers had one. So did the Giants. But ultimately, I settled on the Cubs, an event called "Race to Wrigley." This is an annual event where fans run in the area surrounding Wrigley Field, with the end of the run taking place in the stadium.

I thought this was a fitting event. About three weeks before the United States shut down for Covid-19, I was in a snow-covered Wrigley Field, taking part in a tour during NBA All-Star Weekend. That was really the last bit of travel I did before the pandemic. Even then, news of the virus was present. I saw people already masked up in the airport. Of course, I didn't expect the ensuing months to unfold the way they did. That trip now seems like it was about five years ago.

Once again, the entry fee covered a charitable donation. And once again, I received a package of swag, including a shirt, bib, bag, mask, and medal. I only plan to keep the medal. The shirt and bag will be going to a Cubs friend.

The run itself was one of my better ones. Maybe it was the cooler temperatures? Certainly possible. I was thinking during the run that I've been running all summer without much of an improvement on my time or stamina, so it was nice to run a quicker time than I previously had.

Maybe I'll do another virtual run this fall, but I'm definitely happy to have the Yankees and Cubs medal as a memory of this unforgettable summer. Plus, virtual 5Ks allowed me to do two runs in the state of Illinois that I wouldn't have run otherwise.

And that, in its own right, is pretty cool.

Running has its benefits

I don't like to run. In fact, I hate it.

I don't find it therapeutic or mind-clearing. I don't look forward to doing it. I can't run to put my stress away for a few minutes. If anything, it makes it worse, as my mind wanders to work or all the things I have to do.

Plus, I'm not good at it. My body wasn't built for it. I've always been a fast runner in sports. In baseball, I hit toward the top of the order and frequently stole bases. In basketball, I was a quick defender and a point guard. But distance running? Not something I was made for.

And despite running fairly frequently, I can't seem to improve my time. I can't seem to run much quicker than 9-minute miles, which is really bizarre. You'd think improvement would come. But I also don't really care if I improve. Playing golf, I like to see more score go down. But running? Meh. I just don't care enough to get worked about it.

I run because it's basically the cheapest way for me to stay somewhat in shape and be healthy. That's it.

It does make me feel better when I am running for cause. I don't want to train for a long-distance race or anything, but signing up for a 5K is about my limit, and gives me the extra motivation I need.

So when Tony Burbs of Wrigley Roster Jenga explained that he was the chairperson of a virtual 5K, I decided to run for a cause. And two other blogger runners came with me - Peter of Baseball Every Night and Coach Tom of Waiting Til Next Year.

Virtual 5Ks have become a cool thing during the Pandemic. While it's a lot more fun to go run a race with people all around, virtual races have been a great way to keep an event alive. It just looks a little different.

Basically, everyone runs a 5K on their own time, and inputs their time into a database between certain dates. We all run different courses, but it's for the good of the event. I am convinced Peter ran in a straight downhill course, by the way.

Tony's cause was for St. Coletta's of Illinois, a social service agency for those with intellectual disabilities. His wife works there, and I believe that this is a big fundraiser for them. Definitely a worthy cause.

For a small entry fee, I joined the race, and even received a bib and a t-shirt.

My time came in at 28:33. That's a 9'12" pace. Again, about as fast as I can go for whatever reason.

Coach Tom finished right around my time, and Peter nearly won the thing with his blazing fast time.

Because he's an awesome dude, Tony also put up a raffle prize for his blogging buddies, and somehow I won. I feel guilty about that, as each of the other two guys were more than deserving. The prize was a very vintage 1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premium featuring Ethan Allen. Very, very cool collectible! I had never seen these, but it immediately when into my "good box."

Oh, and my "good box" is a specially marked box I showed my wife how to locate. If I ever croak, I told her this is the one you want to save. Do what you want with the rest.

Also good info for anyone who wants to rob me.

The run was for a great cause, and it was nice to have something to run for that's bigger than me. It led me to participate in a second digital 5K, the Yankees Virtually United 5K, which I clocked my time for just yesterday...and went slower than my St. Coletta's time. Oof. I hope to do two more this 5Ks this year.

Thanks, Tony. I hope the run was a resounding success!

Mail forwarding doesn't work

Those of you who have traded with me know I've moved a few times over the past few years. However, we're officially homeowners, and this should be a permanent address for a long time.

I set up mail forwarding this past July, where any piece of mail (outside of junk mail) should be forwarded to my new address for one year from the start date, which was in July. I've definitely thought about all the mail, including TTMs, that I've probably lost due to change of addresses over the years.

On Saturday, my wife told me that the current tenants of our previous address found her on Facebook and reached out because they had a stack of our mail. Luckily it's only about a half mile away, so we stopped by yesterday, and sure enough, they had a decent sized plastic bag of mail for us. There were some holiday cards, and notably, a few envelopes for me with...you guessed it...cards in them.

I felt bad because two of them were from November, and I never properly thanked the senders because, well, I didn't get them. There was also a TTM, which I'll share soon.

I'm just frustrated because I don't understand why these wouldn't have been forwarded? It makes no sense. I have opened up a claim with the post office to investigate, although I'm sure that won't get me anywhere.

Anyhow, I owe some belated thank yous! First off, Mark Hoyle sent some awesome cards. He always takes care of my with some old Knicks and Syracuse players too.

 

Thanks, Mark! This was from November, so better late than never.

Next up, Brian of Highly Subjective and Completely Arbitrary...also from November! Brian was nice enough to send three HOFers for Joey, and a few goodies for me as well. The Tinos are a great blast from the '90s past. I definitely didn't have that minor league Bernie, either. Never even seen it!

 

Thanks, Brian!

Lastly, this one was just a week old, but Tony Burbs of Wrigley Roster Jenga sent a bunch of Holiday Yanks and a few others!

I'm glad these cards weren't lost forever. Thanks, guys!

Playing some Jenga in the Burbs

I'm sure the horrid post title as been used. If not, no one use it ever again.

Jenga is a great game. I haven’t played in a long time, but I always enjoyed it. I’ve been to a couple bars in NYC that have board games, and it’s always fun to hear a Jenga tower falling over every five minutes.

Tony Burbs of Wrigley Roster Jenga sent me some great Yanks last week. It was our first deal, and I’m glad to have had the honor of being the first Yankees collector he has traded with. He mentioned that in the note, and also said he hopes I find these cards to be productive. He also used some sweet orange tape on his mailers.

The very first card behind his note was a James Kaprielian, so yeah, off to a great start, Tony Burbs. 

Now before I get too far and show some other cards, I needed to get to this card while I hopefully (maybe?) have your attention. Feast your eyes on this:

Holy smokes. This Pinnacle Clear Vision of Ichiro is truly awesome and one of the coolest cards I've gotten in a long time. From its refractory shine to the clearcut portion of the card, this is so pretty it makes me forget there are no team logos on there. It’s just a very special feeling card. At first, I scanned it against a dark background, but then decided to put some white against it, and the results were even more stunning, with a hidden sky type of effect. Ichiro is awesome (and a ninja), so I gotta say this is my favorite card of the package. I know that Tony agreed as well.

There was some other prospects too - past and present, which is always appreciated since I shelp these off for TTMs and often forget to replace them.

By the way, Nick Johnson was a beast in the minors. I can't even imagine the type of hype he would create now. In A+ ball he hit .317/.456/.538 and followed it up in AA with a line of .345/.525/.548 and 123 walks! 

This is my first look at 2016 Pro Debut, which is always a favorite set of mine. I like Degano, although I’m surprised he hasn’t pitched yet this season. I also like the light blue color.

So this card is exceptionally cool and I had ZERO clue it existed. I’m a little mad at myself because I actually made a Billy Crystal custom to send to him TTM (request is pending), but I would have much rather sent this card. Maybe I still will. I love this Tristar set. The cards look beautiful signed.

A new Yankees Jose Canseco! I didn’t have this one. I am definitely starting a mini Canseco Yankees PC.

Holograms need to come back. Where the hell did they go? Denny’s needs to have cards again too.

These are originals. Tony, you shouldn’t have!

There was plenty of shiny to go around as well.

I like this Jorge Posada card commemorating the first HR at new Yankee Stadium. I was at the game and remember the homer. They lost 10-2, so kind of a damper, but still cool to know I was there.

I’ll end this with a card of the Mick. I wasn’t collecting back in the late 2000s when Topps was putting out those massive Mantle sets, so I frequently receive them in trade packages. However, I haven’t seen this one. It’s a refreshing image of his. I don’t recognize it, so nice change-up there.

Tony Burbs, thanks my friend!