Inconsistencies

As my iPod shuffles from Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash to Thoughtless by Korn to Ain't That A Shame by Fats Domino, I am reminded of inconsistency. On the iPod, this is a great thing. I'm very eclectic in my music collection and the shuffle feature keeps me on my toes. This is how I would normally make a mix tape when I was a teenager. It reflects my tastes in music and is a peek at how my brain works.

Inconsistency on the baseball diamond reminds me of Jose Valentin. He tried and tried, but he couldn't just let those balls out of his range go through for a hit. Instead, he put a glove on them, making the ball spin in another direction for an error or actually handling the ball and making a throwing error instead. This usually resulted in the hitter ending up on at least second base, when he should only be on first base.

He also fancied himself a power hitter, but ended up striking out. A lot. Jose did break the single season mark for homers by a White Sox shortstop. Those errors and strikeouts are what did him in though. He played with a lot of heart, but didn't play smart baseball. Jose ended up saving a lot of runs with his defense, but also probably caused more runs to cross the plate at the end of the day than anyone else on the team.

As Air Dance by Black Sabbath gives way to Driver 8 by R.E.M., I am still reminded of Jose Valentin. I'm happy for his time with the White Sox, but I'm also thankful that he has moved on. I guess his eventual move to New York is even acknowledged by my iPod. Ch-Check It Out by The Beastie Boys just popped up. I guess iPods and baseball do mix.