May 1, 2025
In case you are keeping score, I did have winners each of the last three seasonal sports bets. But I still wound up losing. There is no concern since I had a really solid run the last four years, particularly with college basketball.
- College basketball 2024-25: I saved some with Florida but had too many early losers along the way.
- Pro Football 2024-25: This was a wipeout, but granddaughter Lila saved with the Eagles.
- Baseball 2024: The Dodgers really hurt me but I recovered some along the way.
But these three events are behind us, and it is now time to talk baseball, and this season’s baseball bets.
Once again, keep in mind that there are primarily two types of bets available in sports betting: the point spread and the money line. My recommendation is future bets (that I refer to as seasonal bets). These are bets on a team or individual winning a championship, league, division, award, etc., and the good news is that each of these bets (hopefully) applies over an entire season. In baseball, it is who is going to win the World Series, League or Division, as well as under / over on games won for the season.
Here is what I have for this season:
- Naturally, the Mets to win the WS at 15-1. I do think Diaz will again disappoint and their manager is a major liability.
- Kansas City Royals. I have them over at 83.5 (of 162 games) and also placed taken bets to win their Division, League, and WS.
- (Oakland?) Athletics. I have them over at 71.5 with really token bets to win their Division and League.
Do I have any additional suggestions? Of course I do! I’ll probably be putting some money on Baltimore (currently in last place) and L.A. Angels (in second place). I’m also looking at Cleveland and Minnesota in the AL Central Division.
At the local level (for me), this month is decision time on the East Williston School District budget and Board members. Every parent, every senior, every taxpayer, and every youngster of voting age should consider what information is presently available. Our cost per student is nearly 50% above surrounding schools; it is also nearly 50% below other student / teacher ratios. You don’t need a Ph.D. to figure out we are being ripped off by not only the teachers and their union, but also their compliant Board. School taxes and a sinking U.S. News & World Report ranking are now a negative impact on home values.
I recently had lunch with a retired 20+ year EWSD teacher. On mentioning that I have been at “war” with not only the EWSD Board but also their teachers and union, she offered this. “I was always very disappointed with the senseless waste, overstaffing and bloated administration. Their greed still bothers me.” She asked that her name be withheld because she was still on speaking terms with many members of the staff.
Her comments complimented legendary Mathew Haig’s 9/23/23 “white paper” on the defense of his colleague Wes Berkowitz. “We became the envy in our reputation for intellectual creativity and student-centered challenge became well-known, especially in circles of the finest colleges and universities in the country. Beginning in the first decade of the 21st century, the East Williston educational culture began to shift. New school board leadership changed in its fundamental educational disposition … and abandoned its longtime commitment to a ‘whole-student,’ humanistic approach to learning … and foolishly shifted to one based upon statistical analysis, and test-driven measures of both student and teacher achievement … By the first decade of this century, senior teachers, like myself, who saw what was happening to professional morals, its deleterious effect on teacher-student life, and who cared enough to speak out, were targeted. Not coincidentally, over this same period of unfortunate ‘transition,’ Wheatley’s national educational ranking and reputation began a precipitous decline … The second decade of the 21st century began, some of these ‘carpet-bagger’ administrators began to jump ship. They had used East Williston, and Wheatley, for what remained of its once sterling reputation … and now were doing what had rarely been done before in our history … move to districts where they perceived that ‘the pastures were greener’ … Her boorish administrative style had imposed upon Wheatley an abhorrent culture of professional dismissiveness and disrespect never before seen in our district … but, unfortunately, one that took firm root, and persists until today. Today, all Wheatley teachers have to be careful. ‘Instructional staff’ is admonished by Wheatley administrators, not to reach out to students in distress and anything more than directions to the school psychologist’s office, or to the guidance department — Don’t hug them … don’t touch them … don’t offend them … don’t make them feel uncomfortable … don’t express your own opinions … don’t characterize their behaviors … don’t bully them … don’t counsel them.” I think Mr. Haig hit the nail on the head – I could not have said it better.
So, I will once again be voting NO on the budget. And, yes, it’s okay to vote NO. Our kids really deserve better than what has been thrust upon us.
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JUNE 1: On Memorial Day VIII
JULY 1: On a Paradise Lost
AUGUST 1: On the Ultimate Quiz IV
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