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Hello Joe! I remember that your dad pitched in the majors but hadn't seen his photo, for which thanks. The 'Strohs could use his help. Do you play?

I'm for the Xox. (!) My first novio's gram lived near Comiskey Field and she loved baseball. He and I drove downtown to take her out to the ballgame time and time again.... sat in the cheap seats, ate hot dogs, got sunburns, had a whale of a time. She knew everything about the game and the players, a true fan. I lost track of the game until a couple of years ago when the Mariners had their amazing season, my son had season tickets (not the cheap seats) and we ate sushi, watched Ichiro hit a homer. And so it goes.

My strangest (non-)connection to the game: My second cousin Frank's wife Marie's brother is the father of some fellow named Bagwell on the 'Strohs. Impressed? LOL. Marie tried to fix me up with him--her brother, not her illustrious nephew. But I was moving across country and regrettably, the timing xucked. Had I not been in such a hurry to get on the road, I might be sitting in Houston tonight watching my stepson strike out. That is ruhhly all I know about baseball.

Can we still be friends?

(((TAR Recap Ping)))

The CBS recap is posted separately below for everyone’s convenience.

PAOLOS JUMP INTO FIRST; SISTERS SAVED

"I feel like I'm going to pass out."
"You better not. I'll kill you."

The Paolo family overcame their constant discord by banding together to take an exhilarating tandem bungee jump, earning the Fast Forward and a first place finish in Panama City, Panama. Meanwhile, tension grew between the Linz and Weaver families as the Teams exchanged insults throughout the leg. The Gaghan clan fell behind early, but surged past the Godlewskis at a baseball Roadblock, causing the sisters to finish last in this non-elimination leg.

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE
Departing the Pit Stop at 12:40 am, the Bransen family discovered they needed to fly over 2,000 miles to Panama City, Panama, make their way 31 miles to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and take a boat across the Panama Canal to an island where a scientist named Ricardo Diaz would give them their next clue. Calling ahead for a taxi, the Bransen family discovered two flights to Panama City, a Continental flight arriving at 6:40 pm and an American flight landing at 9:10 pm. Even though the Linz family beat the Bransens to the airport, both Teams managed to secure tickets on the earlier Continental flight along with the Paolos. Settling for the later flight were the Godlewski, Gaghan and Weaver families. A disappointed Rolly mockingly quipped, “Yes, now we can be last again.”

A NEW LAND
Landing in Panama City, the Linz clan took the early lead out of the airport thanks to Nick’s “exceptional” Spanish speaking skills. However, the siblings surrendered their lead to the squabbling Paolos who arrived at the docks of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute first. In the end, their jockeying for position amounted to little as the first boat to the island would launch at 7 am, allowing all Teams to catch up. While the Paolos lamented the loss of their lead, the Gaghans and Weavers celebrated that they were all on equal footing again.

The next morning the Paolo family led the way as all six Teams boarded separate boats in a race across the Panama Canal in search of Ricardo Diaz. While the Paolos enjoyed the gorgeous view out in front, the Linz family suffered as their slow boat forced them to fall from second to fifth place. The only family with worse luck was the Gaghans. Squarely in last place, the shocked family watched as their driver veered off in the wrong direction, wanting to pick up other passengers. Bill and Tammy yelled and pleaded with the driver, who agreed to stay on course and head to the island. A relieved Tammy sighed, “Oh my goodness, that was a scare.”

LOOKING FOR RICARDO
Arriving at the island in first place, the Paolos set off across a labyrinth of connected walkways through the lush Panamanian jungle looking for the scientist Ricardo Diaz. While a wrong turn kept the Paolos hunting in vain, the Godlewskis stumbled upon Ricardo to take the lead. Opening their clue, the sisters found a Detour.

In this Detour, Teams had to choose between Rhythm and Coos. In Rhythm, Teams had to travel by red devil bus to the Casco Viejo neighborhood and visit several locations to collect four musical instruments: a trumpet, a trombone, a saxophone and a congo drum. After Teams had all four instruments, they had to deliver them on foot to a club called Take Five Jazz and Wine where the bandleader would hand them their next clue. In Coos, Teams needed to travel by red devil bus to El Parque Metropolitano and use binoculars to search the rainforest canopy for wooden replicas of five local birds, then circle their discoveries on an aviary chart to present to the bird expert. If they circled the wrong birds, they had to repeat the task until they got it right.

FAST FORWARD
Also included with the Detour clue was the only Fast Forward on the entire race. In this Fast Forward, Teams made their way to the Pacific side of the Panama Canal to find a crane on Pier 14. Once there, they would split into pairs with each pair performing a tandem bungee jump 140 feet to the water below.

With all six Teams racing back to the mainland in their boats, a battle for position heated up. Linda Weaver raised the ire of the Linz siblings when she shouted to their driver to slow down. The Paolo family’s misfortune of a slow boat, causing them to fall to fourth place, turned to triumph when the drivers of the Godlewski, Weaver and Linz boats all missed the correct dock, allowing the Paolos to sneak back into first place as they headed to the Panama Canal for the Fast Forward. Getting onto their red devil bus close behind, the Gaghan family decided to follow the Paolos to the Fast Forward in hopes of passing them on foot at the canal. While the Bransens and Weavers separately made their way to spot birds, the Godlewski and Linz families teamed up together to deliver instruments, discovering a common dislike for the Weaver family during their trek to the busses.

FAMILY BONDING
As their bus approached Pier 14 at the Panama Canal, DJ Paolo began to express trepidation over the impending task that loomed ahead. His mother Marion, however, offered no soothing words for her son, instead commanding, “You’re doing it without a doubt.” Upon seeing the towering crane from the bus, DJ worried, “I feel like I’m going to pass out. I’m more than a little nervous right now.” Marion joked, “You better not. I’ll kill you.”

With both buses pulling up to the pier, the Gaghans and Paolos squared off in a foot race to the pier, knowing that losing could have disastrous consequences. While the Paolos had the lead, the athletic Gaghans gained ground, but ultimately failed to pass the Paolos after Tammy tripped and fell, hitting a parked car. Now, faced with having to backtrack to the Detour, the Gaghans’ only hope was resting on one member of the Paolo family not following through with the bungee jump.

THE BIG JUMP
Taking an elevator to the top of the crane, Tony Paolo instructed his frightened son, DJ, “Don’t panic. Close your eyes and throw yourself down.” After Tony and Brian took their exhilarating jump off of the pier, DJ and Marion stepped to the edge, looking down at the water below. With Marion’s reassurances, DJ and his mother screamed as they plunged 140 feet to earn the Fast Forward award. DJ joked, “I’m still alive.” While the disappointed Gaghan family raced off to deliver instruments, hoping to stay in the game, the Paolos opened their clue, instructing them to travel to the Mira Flores Locks, the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and Pit Stop for this leg of the race.

FOR THE BIRDS
As the Paolos headed to the Pit Stop, the Weaver family began their bird watching expedition. After spotting five birds, they took their findings to the aviary expert who told them they had needed to try again. With the Bransens joining them after becoming lost, each Team used their binoculars in hopes of correctly identifying the birds. Meanwhile, the Godlewskis and Linzes arrived at the Casco Viejo and began collecting instruments, picking up a saxophone first.

Arriving at the Mira Flores Locks, the Paolo family excitedly met Phil who, as always, was standing on the mat. Phil informed the happy Paolos that, for their first place victory, they had won a trip for four from Travelocity to Panama staying at the luxurious Gamboa Rainforest Resort on the Panama Canal. On his crazy day, DJ remarked, “Me and my mother always argue, so to do that with her was kind of special.”

HIT AND RUN
Submitting their findings a second time to the bird expert, the Weavers cheered as they earned their next clue. Opening it, they discovered they needed to travel two miles to a baseball stadium, Estadio Juan Demostenes Arosemena, for their next clue. After the Weavers ran back to their red devil bus, the Bransens spotted a fifth bird to earn their clue as well.

As the Godlewski sisters and Linz siblings delivered their instruments to the Take Five clue, the Weaver family pulled up to the Estadio Juan Demostenes Arosemena. Opening their clue, the Weavers found a Roadblock, where one team member had to step up to the plate and hit a base hit or home run off of a championship Little League pitcher. Each player would get a maximum of three pitches per at bat. If they didn’t get a hit, they would go to the end of the line.

POOR SPORTS
After Rolly struck out in his first turn at bat, Beth Bransen stepped up to the plate, striking out as well. When Nick Linz and Sharon Godlewski arrived, the battle on the baseball field really heated up. When Rolly stepped up to the plate again, Alex Linz began taunting him to strikeout. An annoyed Linda told Alex to “hush,” adding, “They’re so rude.” Rolly didn’t need his mother’s help as moments later he hit a ground ball for a base hit. The Weavers opened their clue and learned they needed to travel five miles to the Pit Stop at the Mira Flores Locks. On their red devil bus, the Weavers fumed over being taunted by the Linz clan.

With Beth and Nick each getting hits as well, Sharon showed signs of struggling as she failed to connect with a pitch. Things worsened for the sisters as the Gaghan family, in last place after their failed attempt at the Fast Forward, arrived at the stadium. Billy and Carissa cheered for their father as he promptly hit a pitch into the outfield on the first try to move into fifth place. Wanting to cheer her sister on, Christine shouted, “Pretend it’s that boss that wouldn’t give you that raise!” This motivation seemed to help as Sharon finally got an infield hit and made it safely to first base.

LAST TO THE LOCKS
After the Weaver family stepped onto the mat in second place, a battle for third heated up as the Bransens narrowly won a foot race against the Linz siblings who settled for fourth place. While leaving the Roadblock in fifth place, the Gaghans encountered heavy traffic in their red devil bus. Meanwhile, the Godlewski sisters planned for the worst as they layered themselves with every article of clothing they owned in hopes of non-elimination. In the end, a thrilled Gaghan family stepped onto the mat in fifth place after their tough day, saying, “Just one team, that’s all we’ve got to do.”

Stepping on the mat in last place, dressed absurdly for the coldest of winters while in the hot Panamanian sun, the Godlewskis cheered wildly as Phil informed them that this was the first non-elimination leg. While losing all of their money and possessions except their passports and the clothes on their backs, the sisters remained optimistic about their future in the race. Christine commented, “All of us have wits and charm and beauty, so we’re going to rely on the kind-heartedness of the people that live in Panama. We’re gonna do what we need to do to get through the next leg of the race.”

I watched the Seahawks all season long during their amazing season, Ichiro is my favorite. Boy, what happened to those guys?

Wow, you were >< that close to being in a major league baseball family. It's a lot different today than when my dad played. I found one of his Chicago Cubs contracts when I was cleaning out my mom's storage unit. For his 1952 season he was paid $16,500. He was traded to the Cubs in '52. Went to triple AAA (Vancouver and California) in '54 before retiring in 1960.

I remember going to ballfields as a little kid but not where. I was 6 when he retired from baseball. My mom says I went to Vancouver for a couple of weeks so I assume that's where I remember eating Cracker Jacks and hot dogs, visiting the locker room, and playing table shuffleboard in a sports bar...LOL!!

No, I never played. I didn't really like baseball as a kid. I was on track and junior bowling. I am more interested in aviation than sports. The closest I got to baseball was my dad coached American Legion baseball in the 60's and I was the bat boy for the team (Redding, California)

Since my Dad played for the Cubs, I wouldn't mind if the Sox won...like I said, I don't really have a team playing this year. Go Sox!!! Go 'Strohs!!! heheheh

Yes, we can still be friends ;^)