I Remember Everything | Old Subway Car | MLB Playoff Preview | YouTube Rabbithole
Hello @YouTheReader,
This past September I started off with the 1st 3 songs of Zach Bryan’s (at the time) newest album. We’ll start October 1st with a Stumblin’ Along with the biggest hit off of the album. I Remember Everything by Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves debuted at #1 on Billboard Hot 100. The song is both Bryan and Musgrave’s first Billboard chart-topper.
Man, these country boys love their whiskey! As you know, I go with Guinness.
Remember the mama running off and pawning her ring for later on below.
I don’t know about you but this line feels a bit Johnny Cash-like from his cover of Hurt.
One of the two in the relationship is giving the other a cold shoulder at the closing time at the bar, which could also represent the end of said relationship. The next line could either be about how the girl used to ask him to stay the night or is currently begging him to stick around.
One cool thing from writing Week to Week Notes now for over a year is I sometimes will re-read something I wrote a year ago. It helps give me a reference or a framework for I could improve. This weekend last year was the first time I ever tried incorporating music on in the background with sports. There actually wasn’t even a mention of the song in that post, I just started playing around on Instagram Stories and noticed that I was generating more clicks with songs. I’ll admit I’m a bit of a loser in that sometimes I’ll reread and laugh at something I wrote. Sometimes I’m like “huh, that was decent how can I make it better?” Other times I do feel like “strangе words come on out of a grown man's mouth when his mind's broke.” Either way, it helps me remember everything.
When you’re close with someone, it’s easy to pick up on drunk smiles. We all know that!
Remembering everything can be a blessing and a curse.
Kacey Musgraves comes in guns ablaze. Absolute dagger comebacks that no man wants to hear.
The soles of your feet burn on concrete, just like when two souls meet. Great writing.
The guy isn’t who he sold himself as at the start. He reminds her of her dad who drove the ‘88 Ford and who her mom left, pawning her ring.
@YouTheReader you know I love a good duet. What a feckin’ tune, I’m glad this hit #1 on Billboard. Deserved it.
Quick Intermission of Stumblin’ Along History before The MLB Playoff Preview…
Old Subway Car (Vol II)
IRT R-15 Car 6239
This subway car was built in 1950 by American Car and Foundry Company (ACF Industries today) in Berwick, Pennsylvania. The town is in Northeastern Pennslyvania on the Susquehanna River. Not only is ACF Industries the only manufacturing industry in the town, but Wise Potato Chips was founded in Berwick in 1921 and is still home to their headquarters to this day.
Back to the train, the IRT was in service from 1950 to 1985. It was used on the IRT Flushing Line so it would make stops throughout Queens and into Manhattan. ACF was responsible for producing WW II Stuart Tanks, which drove innovation to other aspects of technology. This particular train only had 100 cars produced but was combined with the best features of the post-war orders with new and experimental features. As a result, it drove faster and had a better braking system. What makes this subway car extra Noteworthy is that it was the first New York City subway system car to be air-conditioned. That said, it was too ahead of its time, as the air-conditioning failed within 2 weeks of operations - the cars were often damp and dusty ass water dripped on passengers. Not good, but it led to improvements later on.
Just imagine these innocent bystanders having to deal with a failed air-conditioning.
(Hey they were just lounging around I had to get a picture of the inside to show you what it looks like. You know, on-the-ground journalism.)
Wow, ain’t she a beaut with the clouds, don’t worry the baseball preview is coming…
120 Years Ago…
…on this date, October 1st, 1903, the first-ever World Series game was ever played. It matched up the American League’s Boston Americans against the National League’s Pittsburgh Pirates. The American League and National League were not connected like they are under the MLB today, they were separate with their own sets of rules, umpires, and committees. Prior to this, the pennant winner from each league would play in a Best-of-9 “World Championship”, but there was genuinely very real beef between the established National League and upstart American League.
Some of the notable names that played in Game 1 of the 1903 World Series if you’re a fan of baseball you’ve heard such as CY Young and Honus Wagner. That was interesting to find out about but the two names in the box score were the leadoff hitters Ginger Beaumont and Patsy Dougherty. A Ginger and a Patsy, we might not ever get a combo of names like that anytime soon leading off a fall classic.
MLB ‘23 Playoff Preview
The 12 teams are all set and have clinched postseason birth. The only scenarios that can change this bracket that took me 20 minutes to put together are if the Astros win today with the Blue Jays and/or Rangers losing on the American League side of things. For the National League, the Marlins losing today combined with a Diamondback win would mean Miami plays the Brewers and the Diamondbacks play Philadelphia.
AL Division Winners
Orioles
Baltimore as a team has the MLB’s 8th-best batting average (.256) and 16th-best on-base % (.321). They scored the 7th most runs (806) while hitting the 17th most home runs (183). Their pitching staff had the best 7th best ERA (3.91). Their bullpen was elite for the vast majority of the season but may now be a bit gassed from being overused with an average starting rotation. C Adley Rutschman and SS Gunnar Henderson are the names to know. Rutschman getting called up last year sparked this recent Orioles run of great play that Gunnar Henderson has added to. Henderson will likely win the AL Rookie of the Year as he hit 28 homers from the SS position.
Rangers
Texas as a team has the MLB’s 2nd-best batting average (.276) and 3rd-best on-base % (.338). They scored the 3rd most runs (881) while tying the Twins for 3rd most home runs (233). Their pitching staff’s ERA was 19th best in the MLB (4.30). They have the worst bullpen in the playoffs with 33 blown saves and their 47% save percentage (meaning they have blown 53% chance of save situations) is good for 3rd worst save % in MLB history. The names to know are SS Corey Seager and SP Dane Dunning. Seager dealt with injuries to start the year but has put up the best numbers of his career with a .330 batting average, 33 homers, 96 RBIs, and 88 runs scored. The Rangers have spent a load of money on starting pitching so it is only fitting that their starter making the least in the rotation has given them a team-best 12 quality starts with 3.72 ERA.
Twins
Minnesota came in 23rd in batting average (.243) and 12th in on-base % (.325). They scored the 10th most runs (776) and tied Texas for 3rd most home runs (233). Their pitching staff’s ERA was the 6th best (3.88). SS Carlos Correa and 3B Royce Lewis are the names to know. Correa statistically had the worst year of his career, very sad, I just thought you should know! Royce Lewis on the other hand might have an insane clutch gene. In ‘23, Lewis hit .292 when the bases were empty, .385 with runners in scoring position, and a whopping .545 when the bases were loaded. Both players on the left side of the Minnesota infield should be back for the playoffs.
AL Wild Card Winners
Rays
Tampa Bay came in 5th in batting average (.259) and 5th in on-base % (.331). They scored the 4th most runs (848) while hitting the 6th most home runs (227). Their pitching staff pitched to a 3.84 ERA, good for 5th in baseball. The names to know are 1B Yandy Diaz and DH Harold Ramirez. Both Diaz and Ramirez hit career highs in batting average and got on base at their highest rates. Both players also showed a bit more pop than in previous years.
Astros
The Astros traded for Kate Upton’s husband and then made the playoffs again.
Blue Jays
Toronto came in 9th in batting average (.256) and 8th in on-base % (.328). They scored the 15th most runs (738) while hitting the 16th most home runs (187). Their pitching staff pitched to an MLB-best 3.73 ERA. Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt are the only pair of teammates in the MLB to have thrown at least 20 quality starts a piece.
NL Division Winners
Braves
Atlanta had the best batting average in baseball hitting .276 and they got on base at the best rate as well with a .344 clip. They scored the most runs in baseball with 938 and hit the most home runs with 305. 1B Matt Olson has hit 54 home runs, an MLB ‘23 best. RF Ronald Acuna created his own new round number category as he became the 1st player ever to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases. He received a standing ovation and the Cubs broadcasters doing the game were pissed off by it, kinda funny.
Dodgers
Los Angeles came in 7th in batting average (.258) and 2nd in on-base % (.340). They scored the 2nd most runs (901) while hitting the 2nd most homers (248). Their pitching staff threw to a 4.07 ERA which is good for 13th. DH JD Martinez had a bounceback year for the Dodgers hitting .274 with power again as he hit 33 balls out of the park. SP Clayton Kershaw is still as great as ever. At 35, Kershaw went 13-4 with a 2.46 ERA.
Brewers
Milwaukee came in 23rd in batting average (.240) and 17th in on-base % (.319). They scored the 17th most runs (724) while hitting the 6th fewest home runs (164). Their pitching staff pitched to a 3.73 ERA, just a few percentage points higher than Toronto, for 2nd in the MLB. SP Freddy Peralta and SP Corbin Burnes allowed the 3rd&4th least amount of hits in a Brewers season since ‘00. The Brewers rotation also got back Brandon Woodruff who in 11 starts threw 7 quality gems and pitched this season to a 2.28 ERA. Brew Crew can’t hit but they can certainly pitch.
NL Wild Card Winners
Phillies
Philadelphia came in 10th in batting average (.255) as well as 10th in on-base % (.327). They scored the 8th most runs (787) while hitting the 9th most home runs (218). Their pitching staff threw to a 4.04 ERA, good for 12th. LF Kyle Schwarber had one helluva hit-or-miss season to the most extreme extent. Schwarber is batting .197 while he has also hit 47 bombs. 1B Bryce Harper moved from the outfield to 1B/DH. Harper had a great year returning from injury as he has hit 21 homers with a .293 batting average and has gotten on-base at a .401 clip.
Marlins
Miami came in 3rd in batting average (.260) and 18th in on-base % (.318). They scored the 5th fewest runs (668) while hitting the 8th fewest home runs (166). Their pitching staff threw to a 4.22 ERA which was good for 16th. The Marlins clinched the playoffs last night. 2B Luis Arraez became the 1st player to lead the MLB in batting average in consecutive seasons since Joe Panik in ‘17. Arraez has been playing on a sprained ankle of late and can still slap a line drive single to left. This is just the 4th time in the Marlins’ history that they have made the playoffs.
Diamondbacks
Arizona came in 14th in batting average (.250) and 14th in on-base % (.322). They really liked the #14 as they came in 14th in runs scored (745) while tying the Marlins for 8th fewest homers with 166. Their pitching staff threw to a 4.47 ERA, good for 20th. RF Corbin Carroll became the first rookie in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 50 bases. SP Zach Gallen was a 17-game winner, good for the 2nd most in the MLB.
New York Baseball Report Card
New York Mets: D+
The Mets stunk this year. If they win today they’ll have won 75 games, a massive disappointment for a team that had brought in Kate Upton’s husband as part of the team’s nearly $500 million free agency frenzy last winter. The only reason I’m not giving them a total failure is that when Uncle Stevie Cohen knew the team wasn’t going anywhere they sold Kate Upton’s husband and Mad Max, receiving prospects with upside.
New York Yankees: F
Fire Cashman. He went into the season with almost the same majority broken-parts roster of veterans that got embarrassed by the Houston Astros in the ‘22 ALCS. Cashman’s big signing was Carlos Rodón who immediately got hurt before blowing kisses while going 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA. In a year where any Yankee fan who watched the team could tell they were doomed once Aaron Judge went down, Cashman refused to play the kids until it was already over. No moves to improve or sell assets were made during the trade deadline. Look, the guy had a nice run, it has been a quarter of a century, and they need a fresh start.
YouTube Rabbithole
Zach Bryan - I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves)