Stumblin' Along 10/6 '24
Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
- Huey Helicopter
- New York Playoff Baseball
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Kris Kristofferson’s Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down. He originally wrote the song in 1969 and Johnny Cash’s cover peaked at #1 on Billboard’s US Country Hot 100 in 1970. This is one of my dad’s favorite songs, he’d listen to it growing up on my aunt Carmel’s cassette. Last Easter Sunday was a piece on Cash’s version, but with the passing of Kris Kristofferson earlier in the week, I figured I would focus on him.
Sounds like he had a fun Saturday night, we’ve all been there.
Classic hair of the dog. Did you know the original saying was “Hair of the dog that bit you”? Makes a ton of sense.
Great line, he’s saving water by not washing. Speaking of men’s hygiene did anybody else buy a Dr. Squatch set after Sydney Sweeney told them to?
Great ad, highly recommend Dr. Squatch’s Fresh Falls!
Love a stumble reference on a Stumblin’ Along song. Kristofferson wrote this when he was living in a run-down tenement in Nashville. At the time, he was a janitor for Columbia Records. Not necessarily the profession you’d expect a man with a master’s degree from Oxford University and someone who had risen to the rank of captain in the US Army. He wanted to be a songwriter so he swept the floors of Columbia Records, waiting to catch his break.
(Source: SongFacts)
Before his famed music career, Kris Kristofferson was featured in a March 31, 1958 issue of Sports Illustrated. During his senior year, he was a rugby player at Pomona College in California. In the piece, they mention he was heading to study English literature at Oxford University to prepare for a career in writing.
Kristofferson’s writing style is great because it’s all fairly simple words, but it’s poetic how descriptive it is.
The last time I heard this song, my dad told me it reminded him of growing up in Connemara. He was just a kid so I don’t think he was hungover, but Sundays could sometimes be a bit gray like this tune.
The original story of how the janitor at Columbia Records caught his break was from his military experience, Kristofferson knew how to fly commercial helicopters. Legend has it that he flew his National Guard helicopter to Johnny Cash’s front yard where he delivered this demo tape. Kristofferson told the San Luis Obispo Tribune in ‘08…
“I knew John before then. I'd been his janitor at the recording studio, and I'd pitched him every song I ever wrote, so he knew who I was. But it was still kind of an invasion of privacy that I wouldn't recommend. To be honest, I don't think he was there. He had a whole story about me getting out of the helicopter with a tape in one hand and a beer in the other. John had a pretty creative memory but I would never have disputed his version of what happened because he was so responsible for any success I had as a songwriter and performer. He put me on the stage the first time I ever was, during a performance at the Newport Folk Festival.”
Many of Kristoferrson’s songs aren’t so much about the fun he had the night before but the aftermath the next day. Scary Sunday hangovers are defintiely lonely.
After landing the helicopter, Kristofferson made Cash listen to the demo tape. Once Cash heard Sunday Morning Coming Down, he “liked his songs so much that I would take them off and not let anybody else hear them." The rest is history as Kris Kristofferson would go on to win 4 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in ‘14. Even at 87 years old today, he still performs his music. Both men are absolute legends.
This is a connection I was surprised to learn about. Taylor Swift credited Kris Kristofferson as one of her music “role models.” They first met in ‘09 at a Country Music Award event where Kristofferson presented her with one of her 4 awards won that evening. The late Country singer praised Swift for her songwriting ability and said she’d have a “most wonderful career, and most wonderful life.”
Another bit about the Country Music Hall of Famer that I learned through this was he starred in the original 1976 A Star Is Born. Kristofferson played the Bradley Cooper role, while Barbara Streisand was Lady Gaga. RIP to the legend, Kris Kristofferson.
On to some Stumblin’ Along…
Bell UH-1A Iroquois (Huey)
The Bell UH-1A’s Iroquois followed the US Army tradition of using Native American names for their helicopters. However, this helicopter was also nicknamed “Huey” because the original designation was HU. The Huey was the first Bell helicopter to be equipped with a turbine engine.
The Huey helicopter was invented in 1955 and entered military service in 1959. In 1962, the Huey was first used in the Vietnam War to transport troops and save lives in evacuations. Its top speed reached 141 mph (227 kph) and it could hold nearly 6,000 pounds of weight. It wouldn’t be until later in the Vietnam War that it adapted into an armed assault helicopter.
More than 7,000 Hueys were used in the Vietnam War so it became synonymous with the conflict and it would eventually be used by all branches of US armed forces. For instance, the US Navy would use the Huey when flown alongside small river patrol boats. The rugged helicopter survived many Viet Cong ambushes and was useful in rescuing trapped soldiers. The Huey displayed in The Intrepid is one of the original 182 “A” models made and it is said to be 1 of only 2 still in existence.
(Source: The USS Intrepid Museum)
The MLB Divisional Round Playoffs got underway with Cleveland shutting Detroit out 7-0. Here is a bit about the 2 New York Baseball teams…
Game 1 (6-2 NYM)
The Mets went with the surprise start of Kodai Senga in Game 1 and with one swing from Kyle Schwarber into the game it looked like it backfired as he led off the Bottom 1st with his 21st career playoff home run. Senga then settled into the game for innings before giving the ball to David Peterson. While the Phillies had their opportunities, they failed to get anything done as the score stayed 1-0 heading into the 8th inning…
As soon as the Mets got into the Philadelphia bullpen they rallied, scoring 5 runs in the 8th. Mark Vientos got them on the board with a line-drive single and would later score on a Brandon Nimmo base knock. The Phillies squandered a brilliant start by Zack Wheeler, who went 7 innings with 9 strikeouts as the Mets bullpen combined to throw 7 innings allowing just 1 run. The Mets took Game 1 by the score of 6-2.
Game 2 Matchup
- Luis Severino pitched in Game 1 of the Wild Card Round in Milwaukee. Sevy went 6 innings allowing just 3 Brewer runs as he picked up his first postseason win since Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium. Yankee fans will recall it as the Greg Bird Game. In his 4 postseason Division League Series career starts with the Yankees, Severino pitched to a 5.49 ERA, but things may be different now that he’s on the Mets. Sevy has struggled with the heart of the Philadelphia lineup as Bryce Harper (2 homers in 5 ABs), Kyle Schwarber (3 hits in 10 ABs), and Nick Castellanos (7 hits in 21 ABs) have hit him well.
- Cristopher Sánchez has just 2.1 innings of postseason experience and it came in his NLCS Game 4 start last season. The Philadelphia Southpaw has pitched in 9 career games against the Mets and has pitched to a 3.62 ERA. Sánchez has struggled with getting out Starling Marte (4 for 11 with 1 homer), Jose Iglesias (3 for 6 with 1 homer), and Fransico Lindor (3 for 9).
With Game 162 last Sunday, I didn’t get to add the final game of the Yankees’ ‘24 regular season but here is what was scribbled down…
Game 162 (9/29 ‘24)
- The Yanks won 6-4 and finished with a 94-68 record on the season. Great regular season and fun to cover quite literally every game. Never thought that’d be possible, thanks to everybody who may have read any of it. Go Yanks!
Game 1
Pregame: Just a heads up I turn into an absolute madman when the Yankees are in the playoffs. You can ask my mom, I’ve been this way since the 4th grade when I blamed her coming back from Cancun as the reason the Yankees blew ‘04. In fairness, they were up 3-0 when she was away. As for this ALDS, the Yankees just had Andy Pettitte throw out the opening pitch of Game 1. Calling the game on TBS is Bob Costas in the booth with Ron Darling, a Mets guy. Great.
1st Inning
- Gerrit Cole’s first pitch of the game looked like a home run off the bat but was caught by Juan Soto on the warning track. Bobby Witt Jr. then lined a gaper that looked like a surefire triple until it landed in Aaron Judge’s glove in left center. Cole gets another flyout as the Royals seem to be on his stuff early.
- Gleyber Torres works a full count walk to lead off the Bottom 1st. Juan Soto then bloops a jam shot for a double to left field. The Yankees can’t capitalize with runners in scoring position as Aaron Judge strikes out, Austin Wells grounds out to 1st, and Mike Stanton whiffs.
2nd Inning
- Salvy Perez singles and Yuli Gurriel walks. Soto threw out Perez at home to get the 1st out as the Royals scored the 1st run on a sac fly the next AB. Cole K ends the inning. I can already tell that Gurriel and Tommy Pham are going to have excruciating at-bats in this series. (1-0 KC)
- Jazz Chisholm hits a can of corn for the 1st pitch of the Bottom 2nd. Anthony Volpe flies out to the warning track in RF and Oswaldo Cabrera strikes out.
3rd Inning
- Volpe makes a nice throw in the SS-3B hole to get 1 out. Cole then allows a single, gets Witt to fly out, and ends the inning with another K.
- Alex Verdugo bloops a single to LF, which sets up a Gleyber Torres 2-run porch job. Soto, Judge, and Wells proceed to ground out, fly out, and pop out. (2-1 NY)
4th Inning
- Salvy flies out for the 1st out. Cole walks Yuli for a 2nd time as my lovely mother decides to text me. As I give her a phone call, some Royal that I’ve never heard of hits a 2-run homer. After allowing a Pham single, Cole picks up another K and gives up another single, but gets help from Verdugo who makes nice sliding basket catch for 3rd Out. (Love you, Mom!)
- Mike Stanton leads off the 4th with a walk. Jazz pops up and Volpe lines out to RF. Cabrera then doubles and any runner aside from Stanton scores, but instead with runners on 2nd & 3rd Verdugo pops out.
5th Inning
- Gerrit Cole is back out on the hill after Clay Holmes was warming up in the 4th. Cole has himself his 1st 1, 2, 3 inning producing 2 flyouts and another K.
- Gleyber leads off the 5th with a walk as the Royals take out Michael Wacha. Soto then singles up the middle and Judge draws a full count walk. With the bases loaded, Austin Wells then draws 4 balls, Stanton pops out, Jazz grounds out, and Volpe walks in another run before Cabrera strikes out looking. (4-3 NY)
6th Inning
- Cole is back out there again but immediately gets taken out after Yuli hits a single off the LF wall. Nice play by Dugo to hold him to a single. Boone goes with Tim Hill and the lefty gets an easy 1st out. Hill then produces a double play ball that Anthony Volpe throws nowhere near Gleyber at 2nd base. With the infield drawn in, the Royals score 2 and Clay Holmes relieves Hill. The crowd is now dead, but Holmes gets the 2nd out in 1 pitch, allows an IF single, and then produces a ground ball for Jazz to throw out Witt. (5-4 KC)
- Dugo leads the inning off with a 4-pitch walk. Gleyber whiffs, Soto hits another single, and Judge strikes out for the 2nd time with runners on. The Yanks are Oh for 8 with runners in scoring position until Wells hits a 2-out single to tie it. Stanton then can’t beat out a chopper to make the final out of the 6th. 5-5 Tie
7th Inning
- Clay Holmes is back out there for the 7th. He goes 1,2,3 as the Yankees finally get Yuli out.
- Jazz leads off the bottom half with a single to RF. On a full count, Volpe strikes out as Jazz barely steals 2nd base. Oswaldo then strikes out as well, but Dugo comes through with a clutch opposite field line drive single as Jazz flies around 3rd base. Kansas City goes to their bullpen once more as Gleyber chops out for the 3rd out.
8th Inning
- Tommy Khanle is now in for Holmes. He gets an easy 1st and 2nd out before walking the Royals 8-hitter. Aaron Boone decides to trust Luke Weaver for a 4-out save. Weaver comes and strikes out the 9-hitter.
- Soto leads off the 8th inning pissed off about the strike zone as he goes down looking. Judge then strikes out again for the 3rd time as he’s 0 for 4 on the night. With 2 outs, Wells walks, only for Stanton to strike out as well.
9th Inning
- Luke Weaver punches out the top 2 of the Royals’ lineup and then produces a grounder to 1st to pick up his 1st career postseason save. Yanks win 6-5.
Game 2 Matchup
