and the results are in – mark and i have guest posted on each other’s sites, as the end of our friendly wager –

the final tally in the biggest bloggers baseball wager ever is syracuse chiefs 5 games won, toledo mud hens 3 games won.

after a two-week stretch fraught with tight nerves, generous volleys of good-humored trash-talking and on-field triple-a baseball that went down to game eight before a 9-3 chiefs victory in toledo’s fifth third field clinched the title, i have learned a bit.

my last bit of gloat shall come in the accompanying photo. It was taken during my dear wife karen and i’s trip to watch game two of the series at the chief’s nbt bank stadium. truth be told, i came with two other signs: one in case the mud hens won the series, and one in case of a 4-4 deadlock.

I had fun following the results, posting jokes, parrying with beth, and our regular readers and friends who comment on both of our blogs.

so what did i take away from this foray into inter-blogal diamond doings?

triple-a baseball is fun, inexpensive, good for its communities, and played at a high level of talent. oh, i knew that going in, but the reminder is always nice.

i actually like the toledo mud hens, particularly pitcher kyle lobstein, third baseman mike hessman and mascot jim flealand.

i was correct in suggesting this little experiment to beth. when i saw her post about attending the outdoor hockey game and love of the detroit red wings, and comments about the tigers and the teams of her alma mater michigan, i knew i had found a kindred sports fan as well as somebody who appreciates aiming an eye at the vagaries and curiosities of life in general. indeed.

and so i typed this in beth style, sans capital letters, in homage to e.e. cummings i do believe, but perhaps because she has a balky shift key on her main typing keyboard.

i heartily invite you regular readers of i didn’t have my glasses on to hop over to markbialczak.com to check out what beth cross-posted on my blog today about this little escapade. if you happen to spot a headline that interests you on my sidebar, please do click and read. follow, if you wish. come back daily. i’d love to talk.

speaking of the future … my alma mater, maryland, joins the big ten come fall. my terps will be playing beth’s wolverines. there may be some more trash-talking ahead.

Have you ever made a friendly wager and then felt a little bad about settling up? Are you a comfortable trash-talker? Do you despise me even a little bit for the sign I’m holding in the picture?