Well, trying to maintain this theme has become difficult. Originally I envisioned it as a series of disasters which would turn to stalemates followed by a series of solid performances. In other words, l envisioned 2017 as a slightly better version of 2016 with gradual upturns over a long interval of time.

So, our connection is a character sketch. The initial thought is to connect to someone with great talents and a great flaw of a temper.

George S. Patton’s family had a long history of military service. Also, his family had a fair amount of personal wealth. He showed promise in many areas. Particularly in athletics. He competed in the “modern pentathlon” at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He graduated from West Point in time to be involved in the U. S. Military’s first operation utilizing motorized vehicles, a raid into Mexico to attempt to capture Pancho Villa. He served in one of the first tank units organized by the U. S. Military in World War I. In some ways, he was a star on the rise.

But, his temper was known to get him in trouble. When one loses his focus on what is important, then errors are made and they compound. And thus we come to our Polish Prince, Mike Fontynewicz. Likewise, he has much talent. But it seems as if he loses focus from his temper. When he does, that is not good. Like last night.

So, in the second inning, the Polish Prince gives up a single. Then a force at second. Then a single. Then a force that Dansby HAD to go to first for the out. Runners second and third, number 8 hitter, the extraordinarily scary offensive force known as Leonys Martin, up. Snit decides to put Martin on. I am skeptical of intentional walks that load the bases. That means the pitcher is very pressured to throw strikes. Now the dangerous hitter and spectacular pitcher Andrew Albers comes to the plate. Groundball up the middle and Prince takes a stab at it with his bare hand. Hard to say if it would have been turned into an out, but after the deflection, it wasn’t.

But in the next half inning, General Patton’s troops rallied. Sergeant Kurt Suzuki of the 442nd Regimental Combat team exploded a bomb (known as a home run). The Carribbean Allied Force Had Ozzie Albies and Ender Inciarte follow up and get another run.

Now on the inning 3 and the Mariners got one to tie it at 2. In the 4th, General Patton contributed a hit by pitch, a walk, and a throwing error on a pickoff (that probably Swanson should have kept in front of himself) that ended up bringing in 3 runs.

6th inning and the prince / general gives up another before being relieved to go give speeches on Corsica. But one positive about the 2017 Braves (which seems to reverse a trend of most of the last 4 to 5 years), when they are behind, they don’t “mail it in.” They still score some runs. So, they got 3 back in the bottom of 6 to make it 6 to 5, but there it would stay.

General Patton’s troops need to reconsider the strategy of the stolen base. Dat Dude Brandon Phillips got caught in 7 which probably cost a run and Ender GOT THROWN OUT WITH FREEMAN AT THE PLATE in the 9th.

Eisenhower needs to step in and straighten this situation out.