Some Observations From The Playoffs

By ANDY HUTCHISON

Published: Oct 31, 2008 12:00 am

By Andy Hutchison

A Long Stretch. For the first time in World Series history a game was suspended partway through to be completed on another date. Mondayâs Game Five between the Phillies and Rays (Devil Rays was much better) was suspended in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was originally scheduled to be continued Tuesday before heavy rain delayed the game again (it was supposed to have resumed Wednesday night, after The Bee Sports Section went to press). I guess this game will, in effect, have a half inning stretch. After a two-day sixth-inning stretch, the teams will play three outs and then itâs stretch time all over again. Lyrics in âTake Me Out To The Ballgameâ may have become reality for some fans. â... Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack. I donât care if I never get back.â That is if they were able to take out the necessary loan to buy ballpark concession items.

Oops! There were several missed calls by umpires. No, they canât be perfect, but in the age of instant replay why not get the calls right? Major League Baseball now uses replay for questionable home runs and you can bet soon enough it will be instituted for close plays on the base paths and eventually to see if fly balls are trapped on the grass or caught. Baseball games, on average, take about an hour longer than they did about 20 years ago (it must be all of that time spent spitting â see below) so why not drag them out another 10 minutes, use replay and get the calls right?

Grab Your Winter Hat, Gloves ... And Shorts. The weather may have put a damper on the World Series, but the cold, wet, windy conditions didnât slow Newtown Highâs girlsâ soccer and field hockey teams on Tuesday. Both won despite almost winterlike conditions. I know uniforms are mandatory, but if a pitcher can wear a jacket on the base paths, why do they make high players wear shorts when temperatures are in the 30s?

Is That Necessary? Back to the World Series. Think about the camera cutaways that capture the behind-the-scenes action. Almost every shot is of players spitting all over the field or dugout. Imagine if basketball players did this on the court? If they donât have to, why should baseball players? Itâs nonstop â and should be stopped.

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It’s important to clarify that while public process matters, so does the right of a property owner to reasonably develop land they legally own—especially when they follow the rules and engage with the town in good faith. The Board of Selectmen (BOS), whether one agrees with their decision or not, did not “give away” anything. The land in question was part of a road that had been unused and undeveloped for generations. There was no public access, no signage, and no infrastructure—just an overgrown path most residents never knew existed. Mr. Ackert calls the discontinuance “illegal,” but state law grants municipalities the authority to discontinue roads, subject to procedural requirements. The fact that this matter is in litigation shows that questions of law are being properly addressed in court—not in letters to the editor. If the court finds procedural flaws, they’ll be corrected. That’s how the legal system works. Real solutions are found through public process and the courts, not through social media outrage. What’s missing from this conversation is a recognition that towns need to balance many interests: history, environment, public access, private property rights, and economic development. And while the newly championed Revolutionary War heritage is important, there are also pressing modern realities: towns need housing, economic vitality, and responsible development. These things don’t happen in a vacuum—they require compromise, planning, and often, yes, change. If residents truly wish to preserve this trail as public space, the appropriate path is through purchase, conservation easement, or formal designation—not by expecting private landowners to bear the burden of public sentiment. If the writer believes so strongly in its value, perhaps they might consider investing in its preservation themselves. We can honor our history without freezing our town in time. Development and preservation aren’t mutually exclusive—but vilifying one side of the conversation only deepens division. Let’s focus on solutions that balance respect for the past with the rights and needs of those who live here now.

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Thank you both for running my letter and the excellent editor's note. I deeply appreciate the Bee and what it means to Newtown.

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Dan was a real gentleman. I had the honor of knowing him for about 10 years from high school and into early adulthood. He was always upbeat and amiable. His love of golf was boundless. I remember him droning on about the type of wedge this or that professional golfer was playing at any given time. He loved to play also. Dan made the winning putt that clinched a championship for NHS men’s golf in 1984. It was a snaking, downhill putt that few people would have had the nerve or imagination to have holed at such a critical moment. It was magic!! You are a true gem, Dan. May your eternal reward be endless days of long, straight drives and the sound of difficult putts finding the bottom of the hole.

Daniel R. Baker

Congratulations John! This is quite a feat & shows a lot of perseverance, endurance, & commitment while becoming more healthy & having fun! The ultimate achievement! Wishing u a long healthy life!

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“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The 1st Amendment does NOT say "except when there's a budget problem, or when some people wish things would quiet down." There is no way a proposed ordinance can be construed as other than singling out RockthisDemocracy, and also no way the town does not get expensively buried in court should it be foolish enough to go down this path.

Assembly Ordinance?

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Some Observations From The Playoffs

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