TOP OF THE WEEK:

As we mentioned here several weeks back, the Hall of Fame is getting a terrific front three of a rotation this year – Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz. Johnson, a towering, glowering presence on the mound, was one of the best clutch pitchers of all time. Same for Martinez, who looks diminutive next to the Big Unit, but had one of the biggest hearts in baseball. Then there’s Smoltz who excelled both as a starter and reliever and may have been the best big game pitcher of the bunch – trailing only Andy Pettitte in post season wins. What a threesome!

AROUND THE BAY:

1. Item: State Rep. Darryl Rouson’s son gets into more than a little trouble and it gets a multi-paragraph article in “Florida’s Best Newspaper”. Granted, an alleged stolen weapon and pointing the thing at a motorist is serious but it gets a paragraph or two at best unless it’s the son of a state representative – just another reason why so many well-qualified people shy away from public office.

2. There comes a time when you put the last election cycle behind you and move forward – a lesson lost on Florida Democratic chief Allison Tant. While folks from both sides of the aisle were talking cooperation at Tuesday’s inaugural, Tant continued pouting and predicting doom for Florida during Governor Scott’s second term. Allison, time to put on the big girl pants.

3. Read an interesting letter to the editor over the holidays by a Darryl David from St. Pete. He welcomes new residents to the state with a lengthy list of all that’s wrong with Florida. Having just toured the eastern seaboard, it seems other states have a few warts – the washboards they call roads in South Carolina come to mind. But the really great thing for David and other malcontents is that I-75 and I-95 run north as well as south.

4. You have really lived in Clearwater a long time if you remember when the Clearwater Airpark opened for business 75 years ago this year (1939).

5. In a related note, we were saddened to learn recently of the passing of Rick Emshoff who had a great impact on the growth of the Airpark in the 90s.

THE DIAMOND, THE MEDIA AND OTHER STUFF:

6. Craig Biggio, the Hall’s fourth inductee this year, is a deserving candidate although many of his credentials are more longevity-related than dominating like the three pitchers. And his Gold Gloves, frankly, were more a product of the tendency to give the award to good hitters who are better than average fielders rather than .250 hitters who could really turn it at second base.

7. Our rants and raves focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) notes that further layoffs will probably be necessary at the IRS this year. They ask why not everyone? (Margin of error 50 per cent more or less). A reminder we make once a year to those of you who are new to Rants and Raves, the 50% percent margin of error depends on how many of the focus group remembered their meds on that particular day.

8. So Bubba the Sponge is back on the radio. For a small cult, that’s great news. For a larger segment, it’s just another thing to hate about over-the-air radio. And for the vast majority of us, a collective yawn.

9. Baltimore and Carolina enjoyed charmed lives in the last weeks of the NFL; both sneaking in on the last week of the regular season, then playing severely crippled teams in Arizona and Pittsburgh in the first round. The clock stuck midnight Saturday.

10. Factoid: gas station attendant, boxer, coal miner, drugstore clerk, mill hand and blackjack dealer. These were the professions of a guy before he combined a cigarette in one hand, a drink in the other and a really smooth voice to become Dean Martin.

IN CLOSING:

There is no middle ground with Bill O’Reilly. You either love the guy or hate him. But a commentary that concluded his initial broadcast for 2015 resounded with your HB (Humble Blogger) and perhaps it will with you. “In 2015, be honest with yourself. Step back and look at your behavior and your thought process. We rationalize our behavior, we are often in denial. Step back; be honest with yourself and your life will improve dramatically.” Well said.