This week’s dining tip (see back story in Jan. 1 TBRR): it’s somewhat dwarfed by its larger cousin, Hooters, but Pete and Shorty’s on Gulf-to-Bay at Hampton in Clearwater offers up some good old fashioned comfort food including meatloaf, shepherd’s pie and their incomparable Shorty Burgers.

World Series picks to click: Achmed goes for four straight

Our post season baseball predictor par excellence, Achmed Walled (pronounced wall-ED) is taking a shot at going 4 for 4 in World Series predictions. Hopefully, in the words of a great philosopher, it won’t be a wasted shot. Achmed originally predicted the Dodgers over the White Sox in six, but we found that he again had not taken his meds and had drifted back to 1959. In 2017, he forecasts a series matching up two teams a long time between world championships, the Cleveland Indians (1948) and the LA Dodgers (1988). Achmed likes the boys by the lake to prevail this time around.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. We did a piece a few weeks back (TBRR – August 6) favorably comparing Duke Power to other industries. They don’t fare too badly in their own industry either – try buying power in Michigan or New York or Connecticut. But we have to take them to task for their latest charge – asset securitization. Come on folks; just say we’re paying for the botched job at the Crystal River nuke plant.

2. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price went completely out of bounds with his excessive use of private and military jets, but as taxpayers, not sure we want our cabinet officers flying coach either.

3. The U.S. Senate race is more than a year away but the front page puff pieces on Florida’s do nothing Senator, Bill Nelson, have already started appearing. Shades of Hillary last fall.

4. Admit it guys, we all lived vicariously through him. The keeper of the bunny hutch, Hugh Hefner passed away last week at age 91.

5. From the Worldwide Leader in stuff that’s mostly factual, the 5:05 Newsletter: From the incredible 5:05 Newsletter: Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose and now Hurricane Maria. Enough hurricanes already. So many businesses on the coasts are boarded up, it is like Obama never left office.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. A recent study valued the University of Florida Gator football program as a franchise at $682 million (before scandal). FSU’s gridiron organization came in at $385 million. Which would you want – Gators at 682, Noles at 385 or the Miami Marlins at $1.3 billion?

7. During this post season time, take a few minutes and google the well-respected Furman Bisher’s interview with baseball legend Joe Jackson. It’s an incredible piece which will give you insight into one of the most misunderstood men and events in baseball history.

8. One more thing regarding Jamele Hill’s recent racist remarks (TBRR – Sept. 17). After viewing some current photos, she might want to keep this number handy: 1-800-651-6000 - just saying.

9. Speaking of the ’59 World Series mentioned above, game five of that series still holds the record for World Series attendance with 92,706 people filing into the LA Memorial Coliseum to witness Bob Shaw and two relievers outduel Sandy Koufax 1-0.

10. Takeaways from Buc’s Week 2A: Remember how national networks always cut away for commercials during the National Anthem until a bunch of spoiled, arrogant, young millionaires decided to make a sham of the ceremony? On another front, we mentally had the Vikes game down as a win in our pre-season thinking.

Has interleague baseball run its course?

We enjoy local sports columnist Tom Jones. We only wonder why a guy with his skills isn’t in a top five market. One of his recent columns concerned baseball’s interleague play and how blasé it has become. It’s time to say enough already. Maybe we could be persuaded with a home and home series for the Rays and Marlins or the Yanks and Mets but then what about Seattle or Minnesota? They don’t have a traditional rival. Most fans can wait until the World Series to watch NL vs AL. And while we’re dumping interleague play, let’s get rid of 19-game schedules within divisions. It’s great for the Rays with strong draws like the Bosox and Yanks, but we bet Chicago and Oakland would like to see a little more of those teams each year as well. And we imagine Rays’ pitchers would like to see a few more Oakland or Chicago White Sox games on their schedules.

SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT WEEK: STATUES NOW; IS SOUTHERN FOOD NEXT?