And Then There Were Three

We are over a week into our finals period here and so far our 1L class has taken two of the five final exams. It all started last Tuesday for a Cinco de Mayo match-up against the Rule Against Perpetuities and second semester Property. Overall sentiment leaving that test....ouch. I have never in my life experienced such anxiety during an exam as I did during those two pressure packed hours, here's hoping it turns out alright.

Next up was Torts on Friday. This exam seemed to go a little more as planned, but there was still much to be included in the essay portion. All in all, it was a much better feeling coming out after those three hours.

Coming up next is Civil Procedure on Monday followed by Contracts on Thursday and finally Criminal Law on Saturday. Contracts is easily the most intimidating of these upcoming exams, but there is no pitcher batting in this lineup.

Also of note: The Finals Mustache is still going. Maybe by the end of the week it will be visible! Viva Finals Mustache!

Manny Being Manny?

If you would have asked me a week ago what the bigger long shot was; Mine That Bird, a 50-1 long shot the morning of the race, winning the Kentucky Derby running away, or Manny Ramirez testing positive for performance enhancing drugs and being suspended by Major League Baseball, I would have answered Manny was the biggest long shot in a heart beat. Sadly, this morning I was proven wrong, and in fact, both of these astonishing long shots have happened.

I'm not here to report the news of something that you've already heard more than enough of from every possible source, but I felt as though I should add something to the white noise that is Manny-related banter. For years I have been a huge Manny Ramirez fan. His swing is amazing, his ability to control the strike zone unmatched, his balance is unbelievable and all of these things are parts of the game that performance enhancing drugs will not affect and yet there is a very good chance that Manny's reputation will forever be tarnished, and for what?

The thing that surprises me most about this happening is the fact that any professional baseball player today, especially such a high profile player, would allow himself to even come close to testing positive. If news would have come out this morning that some unnamed source said they sold Manny something back in 1999 I wouldn't have even flinched. It was a different world then, for better or for worse. I grew up in a professional baseball clubhouse and I saw many things go on just because that's the way things were. I'm certainly not saying it was right, because it wasn't, but it is how it was and we can't deny it happened. I liked to think that we had moved past that, but unfortunately this great game keeps getting dragged through the mud. How does someone like Manny let himself test positive with the current state of drug testing in place? That boggles my mind. He had it all. Was it worth it?

When Manny comes back in early July after serving his 50 game suspension I have no doubt that he'll once again step up to the plate with his unbelievable balance and plate discipline and will take the outside pitch the other way and will deposit hanging sliders into the left field pavilion, there will always be the asterisk floating above his head and that's just too bad. Manny when you do come back, do what you do, have fun and keep smiling, and do it clean.

Finals, Round 2: "AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!"

In a few short days I will be tackling my second round of finals in law school. It all starts on Tuesday, May 5th at 5:00 PM with Property and wraps up on Saturday, May 16th sometime around 4:00 PM. Through that time I will be put through two hours of Property, three hours of Torts, three hours of Civil Procedure, three hours of Contracts, and three hours of Criminal Law. If 14 hours of closed book, cumulative, essay testing isn't enough to get you excited I don't know what is!

Anyways, I decided this would be a good enough time to throw out another update. Mixed in around the many study blocks (thanks, Prof. Klein!) there is plenty of things to occupy a study break these days. At the time of this writing the New York Mets are sitting at 10-12 after taking the first of a three game series against the hated Philadelphia Phillies on Friday in Philly. Big Pelf bounced back with a solid start tonight, but still isn't where the Mets would like him to be, but you can't really complain with his 3-0 record to date. Tomorrow, will be a bigger test as the Mets are sending Oliver Perez to the hill. Ollie has been absolutely terrible so far in 2009. There's just no way around it. He needs a quality start tomorrow in Philadelphia or he risks being dropped from the rotation, which is tough to swallow for the team that recently signed him to a three-year deal just a few short months ago. Ollie has amazing stuff and some days he is absolutely lights out. Sadly, he hasn't had one of those days yet in 2009. Here's hoping tomorrow is the day.

Also of note for Saturday, and what I probably consider the biggest sports event of the day, the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place at 3 PM pacific at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. If this race didn't fall into the time of the year when I absolutely cannot afford to spare more than an hour of my time at various times throughout the day I would be on a plane to Louisville right now or at least making my way to Santa Anita for some amazing Derby Day festivities. As far as the actual race goes, I Want Revenge is currently sitting as the favorite at 3-1 odds, not far behind him are Dunkirk and Pioneerof the Nile who are both at 4-1. Friesan Fire is at 5-1. As far as my picks go, I haven't been able to put nearly as much time into handicapping as I would like to, but after quickly looking at the post positions, odds, jockeys and trainers of each horse I'm going to go ahead and throw out Friesan Fire to win, Pioneerof the Nile to place, and I Want Revenge to show. That's a 6, 16, 13 trifecta for those of you heading to the betting windows. If it ends up that way, I would like a cut though!

Since I last posted former Duluth Huskies pitcher Mark Melancon made his Major League debut for the New York Yankees. Melancon made his debut against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park last Sunday on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball and proceeded to pitch two scoreless innings with one strikeout. He made his next appearance on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers and threw another scoreless inning with another strikeout. Finally, tonight against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Orange County of California of the Pacific Time Zone of the United States of North America of the Western Hemisphere of Earth Melancon finally gave up the first run of his career throwing 1/3 of an inning allowing one earned run on one hit with a walk and a wild pitch. This will not be the norm for Melancon, his control and "stuff" is just too good. He'll be in the Major League's for a long time and it wouldn't surprise me one bit for him to eventually follow Mariano Rivera as the closer for the New York Yankees.

I must say that I should try to get on here and write a little more often. Even if nobody is reading it! It's refreshing to just flow and write about something other than the law every once in awhile. I set high goals for myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm adding another post on here before the end of finals, but if I don't I'll most certianly get on at some point before heading to Minnesota for a week and a half.

Oh, one more thing. Tomorrow the St. Scholastica Saints will be retiring the #33 for the late John Baggs, easily the most successful baseball coach in the programs history. He built that program from essentially nothing to a Division-III powerhouse. The Saints are currently ranked #3 in the country which is amazing considering what those guys have been through. Coach Baggs passed away shortly before the season started from an incredibly aggressive cancer that was diagnosed in September, shortly after I moved out to California. I wish I could be at the Wade tomorrow for the ceremony, but I know that Coach Baggs is always with me. Thank you for what you did to help me with my career in baseball Coach. I'll never forget you. Hoka Hey!