Jones/ESPNMAG

Bingo!

 

This was pretty damn good.

I didn't read some of the parts, because I don't care about those sports, but I really liked the golf parts. I'm into golf to a degree, but those two parts were really, really good.

I'm just curious why Mr. Jones or Jones or Chris or beeranyone was in West Texas and didn't stop by for a Shiner or 12?

 

What a sell out. Seeing Jones in ESPN the Mag makes me feel like I did when I heard The Stones doing Microsoft commercial on TV.

This is about as incongruent as if Bill O'Reilly started writing a column for the NY Times or Keith Olberman took over for Sean Hannity.

 

I had a minute quibble with Jones' Mag piece -- and I would stress it is minute. He wrote that Munson died instantly in that long-ago plane crash. Actually he was trapped in the wreckage, and before anyone could get him out, the plane burst into flames.

But again, that doesn't take away from the overall greatness of the piece.

 

First off, kudos Chris. Very well done, as usual.

The part that resonated was the Josh Hamilton part of the story. I was fortunate to cover one of Josh's games when he was still at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh. The Hamilton that Jones talked to was the Josh I saw back then. Knocked balls 50 feet over the greenhouse out beyond the center-field fence during pregame BP at the school. Kids from the opposing team - and an assistant coach - lined up for his autograph long before the first pitch. Couldn't have been a nicer or more humble kid and signed for everyone who was willing.

While I'm sure he's making money from his book, it's difficult to have issues with Hamilton. The man Chris talked to was the kid I saw. Nice personal flashback.

 

Jones the Magazine?

 

I am intrigued by the idea of that publication and would subscribe to it.

 

Heck, he already convinced me to subscribe to Esquire, so why not?

 

The Carolina Mudcats' official scorer used to score Josh's American Legion games (the guy's kid was also on the team). Said how Josh would walk in after an at-bat, hear someone ask him what kind of pitch the guy threw and have no earthly idea. The scorer used to have Josh sign the scorecard for each game, just in case.

 

No surprise there. Not everyone is a preparation freak like Tony Gwynn. One size does not fit all.

And it hasn't exactly hampered his ability in The Show.

 

This is, of course, why I would rather read Jonesy than anybody else out there today.

Superb.

 

Please explain.