A beautiful autumn Sunday. The tempreture is in the mid 40's and we sit here in sweatshirts around a fire in the fireplace waiting for the furnance repairmen to get here tomorrow. The Giants are winning so what better to talk about than baseball. Big news this week is free agency. Barry Bonds has filed, according to his agent Barry has "Nerves of steel." Just another side effect of steroids I guess. Big names looking for the big bucks include Nomar, Frank Thomas, Alfonso Soriano and Barry Zito. In New York the talk is not of free agents but that Don Mattingly has been named bench coach of the Yankees, a position that will surely move him into the managers job when Torre leaves at the end of next season. Donny baseball always had a great head for the game and should make a good manager.



Halloween week and the kiddies will be dressing up. Sean and Sara went to Hamilton this weekend to see the Patriot League Championships in Cross Country. Colgate's Mike Hanlon finished second in the race. Great job Mike. Also this weekend at Colgate, was the infamous Halloween party. As a student, Sean and his friends dressed up for the occation with great vigor. As a Freshman, Sean and Nate went as the Mario Brothers. Junior year had the group as the cast of Star Wars.

The best was saved for last, that is if you consider an altercation with a large native American athe best. Dressed as the Village People and after the house party they went downtown Hamilton drinking when this guy took umbrage with Seans costume. Not able to control herself the agile sara Thomas came to the rescue and jumped into the fray. To see this years outfits and read all about the weekend check out Seans page at www.curranstat.googlepages.com

Hibernian News: Meeting this coming Thursday night. The agenda is the election of Officers for the upcoming year. All members are requested to make this meeting. Vote for the men that will lead us in 2007.

Giants 17-3 win over Tampa Bay. Gmen now 5-2

Rams once 4-1 as pointed out in the comment section of this blog, drop to 4-3 with a 38-24 loss to San Diego

The Jets drop to 4-4 with a 20-13 loss to the Browns

New England plays on Monday night

Would you do the right thing? It's easy to say yes but deep down would you? I'm thinking of this because last Thursday night I called my nephew John at 8:30. Just when the pregame ended and game seven of the National League Championship was about to start. John is a huge Met fan and I called to say that my car had broken down and would he come and pick me up. I know that this is not a life or death situation but it's one of those little test in life that determine your character. I told him I was a few miles from his house, I know that we would not have missed much of the game and he could have listened on the radio in the car but that's beside the point. John gave the correct answer, "I'll be right there." I let him off the hook and we both had a good laugh but those four words meant a lot to me and I think define John. So what would you do in a similar situation? Do you care enough about someone to drop everything you are doing and help. What matters more to you, friends or family. This is a hard one because no one what's to openly admit that they don't like their family so let's just stick to friends. How do you define friendship? If you meet someone once do you call them a friend? How much time do you have to spend with someone to call them a friend? How many friends do you need and what do you do if two friends don't like each other. I think that when you are young you have lots of friends, you've seen those weddings with eight ushers or bridesmaids. Someone older gets married and you have to seat yourself in the church, they have a bestman and that's it. What determines a best friend and can you have more than one? How do you classify a person that you have not seen for a long time, years, but you run into them and spend a few hours together and you pick up the conversation like you had never been apart. Are they friends, good friends, old friends, long lost friends? Just what is a long lost friend anyway, if they were a friend why would you lose them in the first place. I know that people change but if you are friends why should the changes matter?
I know that this blog is getting a bit deep so I'll end it with a few photos of friends. try to hum the theme from the Courtship of Eddie's Father as you look at the photos.
People let me tell you 'bout my best friend

He's a warm hearted person who'll love me till the end.

People let me tell you bout my best friend,He's a one boy cuddly toy, my up, my down, my pride and joy.People let me tell you 'bout him he's so much funWhether we're talkin' man to man or whether we're talking son to son.
Cause he's my best friend.
Yes he's my best friend.


La da da da da da................

A chilly but dry day at the Saratoga Battlefield Sunday as the Commodore John Barry Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians laid a wreath at the monument to Timothy Murphy. Murphy, a son of Irish immigrants, was a frontiersman who while serving in Morgans rifemen climbed a tree and shot and killed British General Simon Frasier during the battle of Saratoga. This was the first documented use of a sniper by the United States army. The monument, erected in 1912, is the oldest monument in the country erected by the AOH.

Division Vice President Steve Curran and Division President Dave Cummings place a wreath in front of the monument.
Sports updates
The fall charge of Murphy's Tigers took another dramatic step Saturday night as Magglio Ordonez's walk-off three-run homer in the ninth inning finished the A's, 6-3, capped a four-game sweep of the American League Championship Series. Now the Tigers have a week to rest and wait to see who wins the National League crown. Sunday night the Mets showed that they were still alive as they beat the Cardinals 12-5 to even up the series at two games apiece.
The Giants offence came to life in the second half Sunday. Down 7-3 at halftime and 14-3 after Warrick Dunn broke off a 90 yard TD run on the first play of the third quarter, the big blue put it all together in the second half for a 27-14 win. Tiki Barber ran for 185 yards and tight end Jeremy Shockey pulled in two touchdown passes.
The Jets almost blew a 17 point lead as they watched a last second Field Goal attempt fall short and to the right as they held off division rival Miami 20-17.
As stated in this blog, the game of the week had to be the 4-1 Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams seemed to have everything in hand but as all sports fans know, it ain't over till it's over. As dominant as the Rams were in the first half, Seattle was better in the second, scoring 20 straight points to go up 27-21 late in the game. The Rams still showed some life marching down the field for a 4th quarter go ahead TD pass from Marc Bulger to Torry Holt with less than two minutes to go in the game. Unlike the Rams wins over the Phoenix Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers the Seahawks did not fumble away the game on their last drive. Seahawks QB Matt Hassleback drove his team down the field spiked the ball to stop the clock and as time ran out the ball sailed between the uprights for a 30-28 Seahawk win. This was Browns third Field Goal of the game. The lose drops the Rams into second place in the division behind the Seahawks.



Is it me or do these two logo look alike?

Three things to point out today for everyone's calendars.
1) Sunday October 15, 2006
The Commodore John Barry Division #1 will be laying a wreath at the Timothy Murphy monument at the Saratoga Battlefield on Sunday at 1pm. All members are asked to meet at the visitor center no later than 12:30. There is no charge to enter the battlefield and this event is open to the public

.

2) Saturday October 14, 2006
Nationally known author Stephen Harris will giving a talk at the New York State Military Museum, 61 Lake Avenue Saratoga Springs, at 12:00 on his just released book, Duffy’s War: Fr. Francis Duffy, Wild Bill Donovan, and the Irish Fighting 69th in World War I.
This is the final volume in Steve's trilogy on New York National Guard units in World War I.
His previous two well received books were on New York's 7th Regiment (Silk Stocking Regiment) and the 369th Harlem Hell Fighters.
Refreshments will be served. Books will be available at the Museum Store.





3) The Sunday NFL game of the week
Seattle at St. Louis 1pm
Murphy has been touting the Rams so far this year, yes while Met and Yankee fans were still watching baseball the Red Sox nation had to turn to the NFL. I have heard from Brian over and over about his 4-1 Rams. So this week let's keep an eye on the Rams. So far this season the Rams have beaten the 0-5 Lions, the 1-4 Packers and the 1-4 Cardinals. If the Rams had to play Queensbury, Saratoga and Colonie High schools they would be 0-3. They lost to the 2-3 49ers. Let's not be too hard on Mr. Murphy, being a Sox fan gets you trained to root hard in the beginning of the season when things are going good, I guess it's the same with the Rams.




I will give you this Brian, they are some cheerleaders.

Happy belated Birthday Sara Thomas. Yesterday was Sara's 24th birthday, in case you don't know, Sara is my son Sean's better half. He came away from college with a fine education and a beautiful woman. A double play if I ever saw one. For an update on the playoffs check Sean's blog, you will also read more about Sara. The site is http://curranstat.googlepages.com/home

for even more fun read and add to the comments on my last blog.

Big doings at the Commodore John Barry Division this past week. First lets congratulate the six members that made their major degrees this past Sunday. Mike Brockley, Jed Ida, Mike Curran , and the Quinns, Kieran, Liam and Kevin.
These men have fulfilled their duties to the organization and should be outstanding members of their division.
At the meeting Thursday night we held nominations of officers for the upcoming year. The election will be at the next meeting of the division on Thursday November 2, 2006.
Those running for office are,
President: Dave Cummings, Steve Curran
Vice President: Chris Kelly, Paul O'Donnell
Fin. Sec.: Chris Bergman
Recording Sec.: Rop Przedwiecki, Chris Templin
Treasurer: Emmet Kelleher
Marshall: Jeff Carney
Sentinel: Jeff Carney, Mike Curran, Chris Templin

The nominations will remain open at the next meeting and as you can see there will be some changes to the slate of canidates.
I think the name Przedwiecki killed my spellcheck, it gave me this option priestesses.
All members in good standing, that means you paid your dues, present at the meeting can vote. Please come out and support these men in their quest to lead this division.
Sports updates. Notre Dame won again against Stanford on Saturday and Sunday holds a full day of NFL football, so If you are not out apple picking enjoy the games. Go Giants.
One last item just for Murphy, The Yankees lost

Abreu, Jeter lead way in Game 1 win. Day one of the division playoffs is over and the Yankees, A's and Cardinals come out on top. The Yankees beat Murphy's Tigers in New York behind the hitting of Bobby Abreu ( 4 RBI) and Derek Jeter (5 for 5 including a home run) and the pitching of Chien-Ming Wang who went 6 2/3 innings for the win. In Minneapolis the A's took game one 3-2 over the Twins. Barry Zito pitched eight great innings for the visiting A's keeping the Twins hitless until the fifth inning. Frank Thomas lived up to his nickname, "The Big Hurt" by belting two solo home runs in the 3-2 victory. On the National League side, St. Louis blasted the Padres 5-1. Albert Pujols led the offence with a monster home run. The biggest loss of the day might just be in the game that wasn't. In a workout on Tuesday Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, tweaked his right calf muscle and was sent for a MRI. He is questionable for today's start against the Dodgers. If he is out, this would knock out two of the Mets big three starters. Pedro is already being left off the roster with a calf injury.
today's match ups are,
A's E. Loaiza
Twins B. Bonser
today 1 pm
LA D. Lowe
Mets ?
Today 4pm
Tigers J. Verlander
Yanks M. Mussina
Today 8 pm
So sit back and enjoy playoff baseball.

Welcome to October. It's a very cold and rainy Sunday morning. Mike is working for a couple of hours cleaning and putting the ice cream/fish fry away for the winter. The last day of the baseball season has no effect on the Yankees for they have already clinched both the Eastern League and the best record in the American League so they will have home field through out the playoffs. The questions that are left are who will they play and who will the batting champ be. In Boston, they are still in a race. Going into the last day of the season the Red Sox trail the BlueJays by one game for second place. The Sox host the Orioles today at Fenway while the Jays are in the big ballpark in the Bronx. How sad for the Red Sox Nation as they will have to root for the Yankees on the last day of the season. I'm sure they won't admit it but second place is still better than third. Even Terry Franconna said how humiliating it would be to finish behind the Jays. The Tigers and the Twins are still tied, both in the playoffs but uncertain where they will play until after today's game. In the batting race Joe Mauer of the Twins still leads the league with a .346 average but coming off a three for three day at the plate yesterday, Derek Jeter is now hitting .345 and teammate Robinson Cano is third with an average of .340. All three players will be in their teams lineup today fighting for the title, unless Mauer pulls a Wade Boggs. Incase you forgot, 1986, boggs leads the race and sits out the last game of the year, at home against the Yankees. He claims to have a sore hamstring. Don Mattingly needs to go six for six to overtake Boggs. Billy Martin bats Donny leadoff hoping to get him the chances. Mattingly leads off the game with a hit. In his second at bat he also gets a hit, followed by a base on balls but it is still early in the game. In his fourth trip to the plate he makes an out. The Red Sox fans give him a standing ovation for the effort, a true class act. As for Boggs and his bad hamstring, in his first at bat in the playoffs he legs out a triple, some sore leg don't you think. As you can tell I was never a Boggs fan, even as a Yankee, it almost ruined my celebration of another world championship to watch Boggs ride around the stadium on the back of a mounted policeman horse. My favorite memories of Boggs are the final out of Dave Righetti's no hitter, a strike out, and watching Boggs cry in the dugout after the series lost to the Mets.
So to all the Yankee fans, congratulations on another winning season and enjoy the playoffs, this is the best part of the baseball season. As for Football, it's going to be a long season for the Giants. The Jets, Bills and Pats are going to have a lot of work ahead of them so lets root for our favorites and enjoy the fall sports season.