Just after Thanksgiving last year, Hot Stove #1 was posted. Rita and I were getting ready to leave for Mexico with our friends Larry and Diana Brewer – same story this year, leaving Wednesday, but with Cabo as the destination rather than Puerto Vallarta. The lead story in that inaugural post covered the selection of an all-time outfield with my grandson Ian (now 11). At Thanksgiving dinner this year, we selected our first baseman (story below). One negative change since that first post: I can no longer refer to the Royals as the reigning World Champions.

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My dream matchup for the Series remains possible. The Cubs need to finish off the Dodgers at Wrigley this weekend. As I discussed in Hot Stove #25 and #26, my sentiment with the Cubs relates to the obscenely long time since their last World Series win. To give that some personal perspective: My grandparents immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe in 1907. That year and the next, the Cubs won the World Series. Our family has expanded by five additional generations since then (yes, I have great-grandchildren), but the Cubs remain without another World Series title. It’s time. Here is another take based on the opening number of Hamilton: (click here, 3:47).

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Before getting into Part Two of that 1908 season, I’ll start with some current news.

Buck’s Bridge: I was out of town last week and so missed the dedication of the John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil Bridge. When Rita and I came in from the airport Friday night, we were excited to see the sign as we crossed the bridge on our way home. The dedication ceremony was held at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum:

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Nerd Alert: This Hot Stove thing grew out of the euphoria of the 2015 World Series. The idea was to supplement my playoff postings for the “serious” baseball fans during the Hot Stove season. Many casual fans also signed on and sometimes the commentary can get a little long for them. As my wife and editor Rita says, I occasionally “get down into the weeds.” Mostly I try to listen to her. Sometimes I just have to be in the weeds.  So I have compromised and will do a short version and then take a commercial break for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Then, for the nerds, the long version, which is so long that there will be a Part Two in Hot Stove #26. Think of it this way. You can listen to the hit single (no pun intended) or the long play album. There will be no test.

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Rita and I have returned from Cuba and the Telluride Film Festival. My Hot Stove sabbatical is over. If you are a movie fan, my Telluride reviews are on Lonnie’s Jukebox. As for Cuba and getting back to Hot Stove baseball, please read on.

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Sabbatical Notice: It is hard to read and write at the same time. I am way behind on my book reading because of Hot Stove and some recent political writing (more on that later in this post). So Hot Stove is going on sabbatical. Rita and I head to Miami on Saturday to catch a cruise ship to Cuba – spending my 75^th birthday in Havana. The trip after that will be the Telluride Film Festival over Labor Day Weekend. After Telluride, Hot Stove will return, though not likely reporting on the Royals approaching the playoffs. But I will have some movie reviews and more baseball nostalgia and trivia.

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