Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 446

Warriors play-by-play broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald to call Paris Olympics

The upcoming Summer Olympics basketball tournament will feature a familiar voice for Warriors fans.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bob Fitzgerald will handle 2024 Olympic basketball play-by-play duties, the Warriors announced Monday. The games will be broadcast by NBC Universal.

This summer’s games in Paris will be Fitzgerald’s sixth Olympics for NBC. He previously did play-by-play for basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. He also called water polo in Beijing in 2008 in addition to responsibilities at the 2004 Athens Games and 1996 Atlanta Games.

Fitzgerald has worked as the play-by-play announcer on television for the Warriors for the past 27 years. He and color commentator Kelenna Azibukie finished dead last in Awful Announcing’s latest local NBA announcer rankings, but that did not sway NBC from having him cover the Olympics.

Fitzgerald isn’t the only Warriors-related name going to Paris: Steph Curry is playing in his first Olympics and Steve Kerr is serving as head coach of Team USA. The play-by-play announcer for the American’s games, though, will be Noah Eagle.

With Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker, Team USA is the prohibitive favorite to win gold. But Serbia — which is in the USA’s group — France and Canada should also boast formidable talent.

Paris 2024 is scheduled for July 26 through Aug. 11.

Kurtenbach: Klay Thompson, Brandon Aiyuk’s social media antics put a price on embarrassment

The U.S. surgeon general wants to put a warning label — á la cigarettes — on social media, claiming that it is harmful to the mental health of teens.

He should consider expanding that warning to professional athletes, too.

Warning: Using social media during contract negotiations can make you look like a teen.

For 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and Warriors star Klay Thompson, that’s obviously not a good look.

And it’s certainly not one that helps them amid contract negotiations with their Bay Area teams.

The good news? It’s social media — nothing on it matters.

Money talks and bull, well, excrement walks. It’s not hard to figure out what social media posturing is.

So, no, I don’t buy any of this affecting negotiations.

But that doesn’t mean these guys can’t embarrass themselves in the meantime.

Thompson, who is poised to explore unrestricted free agency this summer after 13 seasons with the Warriors, decided to unfollow the Warriors on Instagram, and removed a great deal of Warriors-related content on the social media site.

The move is straight out of a 10th-grader’s breakup playbook. Thompson, a 34-year-old multi-millionaire and four-time NBA champion, wants the Warriors to know that he totally doesn’t even think about them anymore, you guys.

Meanwhile, Aiyuk who is under contract for this season, posted a video to his TikTok where he tells Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels “They said they don’t want me back” on a Facetime call.

“They” is presumably the 49ers. It could also be the Marshalls department store Aiyuk posted a TikTok video about last month.

“Im laughing but im crying fr” was the caption of the most recent video.

Angsty stuff. Is Aiyuk about to go into a goth phase?

I joke because it’s all so laughable. (And no, I am not crying for real.)

Don’t take my word for it, just ask Draymond Green.

“I think it’s f****** hilarious… I think that’s comical,” Green said of Thompson’s Instagram tactics on his eponymous podcast.

The idea that either of these social media moves is leverage for the players is absurd. They’re attention-grabbing, sure, and perhaps that curries favor with a portion of the “fan base” whose brains have been rendered into a mush by the algorithms. But how does acting out for attention on social media convince the Warriors or 49ers to give either party the extra millions of dollars these wannabe teens want?

If anything, it can make the opposite argument.

Thompson is looking for “respect” from the Warriors in contract negotiations. At least that’s the word that keeps coming up in conversations about the subject.

But here he is being passive-aggressive on social media. Is that something worthy of respect?

Of course “respect” is just a code for larger direct deposits. The Warriors are pressed up against the luxury tax aprons, and can only offer Thompson, a declining player, so much. And so Thompson will test the market and see if anyone can beat the Warriors’ number. They might, they might not. At least if he does leave, he won’t have to spend any time cleaning up his social media.

At least Aiyuk isn’t coding “respect.” He wants to be one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the league.

The 49ers are, legitimately, wary of giving into Aiyuk’s demands.

Plus, San Francisco doesn’t need to do anything. Aiyuk is under contract for this season. The Niners can franchise tag him for the 2025 and 2026 campaigns.

Ultimately both Aiyuk and the Niners want the cost-certainty that comes with a long-term deal, but the 49ers already have that with the next three seasons — if the Niners make Aiyuk play out his fifth-year option then franchise tag him twice after that, it’s roughly $70 million.

So Aiyuk can infer that the 49ers don’t want him back and make a big stink out of it, but the fact of the matter is that he is under contract. He has to go back. He’ll be fined $40,000 for every day of training camp missed and a regular-season game check for every preseason game missed. Add in the $100,000 in fines Aiyuk has accrued from already missing mini-camp and, In all, it’s roughly $4 million in fines for Aiyuk if he pushes this thing as far as Nick Bosa did last season — and there’s no guarantee the Niners waive those fines if he doesn’t sign a new contract.

But anything to attract a few new TikTok followers, right?

Maybe he’ll do a dance outside the lunch room when he signs that new deal.

The great soccer manager Jurgen Klopp said “It’s not so important what people think when you come in. It’s much more important what people think when you leave.”

If this is, indeed, it for Thompson, our last memories of him will be a 0-for-10 performance in the playoffs and this bit of pettiness.

And if this is Aiyuk’s last move before a trade, will 49ers fans view him as the one who got away?

Both men want $30 million a year and they have every right to negotiate for as much as they can get by any legal means they can use. This is, after all, still America.

But how much is a legacy worth?

And how about one’s dignity?

Because no matter how much these two can squeeze out of the Niners and Warriors in the coming weeks, they won’t have enough to buy back either.

Final plans for sidewalk widening project will be heard at next PG council meeting

PACIFIC GROVE >> City staff will present the finalized plans for the Pacific Grove sidewalk widening project slated for Lighthouse Avenue to City Council during Wednesday’s meeting.

According to the meeting agenda, the cost of the sidewalk widening project is estimated to be $404,068, nearly double what was originally suggested earlier this year. This would include $251,250 for the actual sidewalk extension, bulb-outs, curb ramps, drainage and intersection improvements. The other $152,818 would be for decorative details including the demolition of existing structures, installing lights, trees, fencing and other features.

Going hand-in-hand with the sidewalk project will be discussions of what will happen to the parklets on Lighthouse Avenue, an ongoing and controversial topic for the past few years.

There are currently three parklets on Central Avenue within the coastal zone, according to Wednesday’s agenda. Two were allowed under the COVID emergency declarations and one was created as part of a pilot program in 2014.  The encroachment permits for the three parklets in the coastal zone will expire on June 30.

In addition to the three parklets located in the coastal zone, there are 11 other parklets approved by the city. However, due to the complexity of the issues relating to parklets and the time needed for staff to evaluate the issues, the city manager plans to extend the encroachment permits for the 14 existing parklets until June 30, 2025.

This will come with contingencies, including the three parklets within the coastal zone to obtain Coastal Development Permits. City staff will also hire a consultant to help draft a manual that will lay out rules and regulations for outdoor dining as proposed by City Council. The manual will also contain a set of rules requiring the parklets to dismantle within 60 days of a notice from the city.

The sidewalk widening is supposed to enhance driver and pedestrian visibility, shorten the length of crosswalks to reduce pedestrian exposure and improve drainage and sewage.

The area is near the intersection of Lighthouse Avenue and Fountain Avenue with plans to extend the sidewalk by about 26 feet. There will also be 18 feet of fenced-in dining areas adjacent to the restaurants, Wild Fish, Rudolfo’s Cafe and Victorian Corner, and an 8-foot pedestrian walkway between the fenced portion and the road.

The Pacific Grove City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Pacific Grove City Hall, 300 Forest Ave. You can watch the meeting online via Zoom at www.cityofpacificgrove.org/Zoom_CC.

Imjin Parkway project in Marina to focus on Abrams, Marina Heights drives

MARINA – The Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout project continues to make strides with more work on Abrams and Marina Heights drives taking a front seat over the next two weeks.

The Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project is a two-year effort to widen and increase safety on an artery for about 30,000 daily motorists through the city of Marina.

The project will affect 1.7 miles of Imjin Parkway from Reservation Road to Imjin Road and will include the construction of four roundabouts and increase the stretch of roadway to four lanes.

From now until June 28, crews will begin forming the back side of the concrete retaining walls near Abrams and Marina Heights drives, according to the city of Marina. Irrigation service lines will continue to be installed between Abrams Drive and Imjin Road, as well as the continued earthwork to achieve finish grade for the new roadway section between Reservation Road and Preston Drive, including Preston Drive itself. Concrete curbs will be graded, formed and placed at the edge of the roadway for the new portion of Preston Drive. Grading operations and the continued removal of existing pavement will continue behind the concrete barriers between Abrams Drive and Imjin Road, and trench work and tie-ins to existing facilities for sanitary sewer lines between Abrams and Marina Heights drives will also continue.

Marina is the lead agency for the project which is also the second regional Transportation Agency for Monterey County Measure X project to be built. The first was the Monterey-Salinas Transit maintenance facility in King City.

Measure X was the November 2016 ballot measure that was approved by 67.7% of Monterey County voters for the Transportation Agency’s Transportation Safety and Investment Plan.

Last week, the Imjin Parkway project saw grading operations, including the installation and compaction of base rock material between Reservation Road and Preston Drive. There was fine grading of subgrade for concrete curbs on Preston Drive, as well as the continued grading operations on westbound Imjin Parkway lanes behind the concrete barrier between Abrams and Marina Heights drives. Temporary sheet piling was removed, as well as the re-grading of slopes at the sound wall retaining wall between Abrams and Preston drives. Manholes were constructed along with the performing of trenching and backfill operations for sanitary sewer facilities between Marina Heights and Abrams drives. A 6-inch sewer line tie-in to an existing Marina Coast Water District line was completed, and work on upgrades to Marina Coast Water District facilities within the project limits were coordinated.

Upon completion, the Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project will provide transit and pedestrian improvements, add on-street buffered bike lanes, stormwater treatment areas, retaining walls and a sound wall.

The improvements will benefit commuters who travel through the corridor in Marina, as well as those who live along Imjin Parkway at Cal State Monterey Bay and the neighboring homes in Marina Heights, Sea Haven and Preston Park.

Go to ImjinParkway.com for updates or call Edrie De Los Santos, city of Marina engineer, at (831) 884-1212.

New Salinas preschool takes a science-based approach

SALINAS >> Enrollment is now open for the first cohort of toddlers to learn at the Discovery Academy, a preschool focusing on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) in Salinas.

The Discovery Academy, a new program through the Monterey County Office of Education’s Early Learning Program, provides low-income families with a well-rounded start to education for their children who are 2 through 5 years old. Recently built on Hartnell College’s East Campus, parents can now apply to enroll their children in the academy for the fall.

By getting kids engaged with the STEAM field early in their education, “it’s igniting their curiosity,” said Deneen Guss, Monterey County’s schools superintendent. “You’re building curiosity and excitement for STEAM and if you get (students) really excited about that early on, they’re more likely to be interested in one of those fields later on.”

The academy was funded with a federal Head Start grant as well as funds from the Early Learning Program. Hartnell College also contributed to the academy’s construction. The academy will serve around 80 students taught within four classrooms with 12 staff members.

 

The pre-school consists of four classrooms, each with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. (Courtesy of Monterey County Office of Education)

Discovery Academy students will learn through inquiry and experience-based learning, said Program Director Sonia Jaramillo. “STEAM is at the center of everything,” said Jaramillo.

Based on county education data, “we see a need for more sciences for children as it helps students develop a higher level of vocabulary so they’ll be better prepared to transition to kindergarten,” said Jaramillo.

Along with an emphasis on the sciences, students will have access to music teachers, folkloric dance instruction, astronomy and an introduction into the local community through education about local produce and experience planting their own seeds.

“Our families benefit because their kids are going to be learning at a different level and receiving quality education,” said Jaramillo. Through the Early Learning Program and its various community resources, families within the Discovery Academy also receive extra resources and support.

“When we enroll a child, we enroll a family. We take care of the family because if the parents are OK, our students are going to be OK,” said Jaramillo.

The Early Learning Program currently has 34 classrooms across Monterey County, all with an emphasis on science and comprehensive services based on individual need, according to Jaramillo.

While the Early Learning Program is geared toward low-income families, there is also opportunity for other families above the poverty line to enroll their children, as long as the needs of low-income families are met first. There is also space for students with special needs, regardless of income requirements.

“We have a responsibility to serve and search for youngsters who have special needs,” said Guss.

An important aspect of the Discovery Academy is its inclusive elements. The academy highlights bilingual learning, with many of its teachers being fluent in Spanish.

The Discovery Academy offers a bilingual education, with many of its instructors being fluent in Spanish to meet student needs. (Courtesy of Monterey County Office of Education)

By having instructors who are able to teach in both English and Spanish, students will be better able to focus on their learning and have an “extra level of comfort they need knowing there’s someone who knows their language,” said Jaramillo.

Students also have access to counselors and nutritionists to take care of their mental and physical health while students focus on the STEAM curriculum.

With Hartnell College having space for the building, “everything came together to meet the needs of our community and help students prepare for high demand in schools and meet state standards,” she said.

The placement of the academy is also strategic, as students at the Hartnell College East Campus can enroll their children in the Discovery Academy while the parents are in class, according to Guss.

“(Students) are there to discover, learn and use their imagination,” said Jaramillo. “Our goal is to prepare them and give them a strong foundation to be on the same level as their peers.”

More information about enrollment and eligibility can be found at https://www.montereycoe.org/divisions-services/early-learning-program/enrollment-eligibility.

US State Department reopens online passport renewal portal

Patrick Clarke | (TNS) TravelPulse

Renewing your expired or soon-to-expire U.S. passport just got a lot easier.

The State Department reopened its online renewal portal on Wednesday, unveiling a beta program designed to speed up processing for travelers who meet certain criteria in efforts to avoid issues faced last summer.

Keep in mind this isn’t a full launch, so officials will only take a select number of applicants each day. Travelers can still renew by mail.

To be eligible to renew online, however, travelers must be U.S. citizens and residents who are age 25 and older and who have already had a passport with 10-year validity. Other notable requirements include not requesting a change to their name, gender, date of birth or place of birth.

This assumes your passport was issued within the last nine to 15 years.

Travelers must also not be planning to travel internationally for at least eight weeks from the day they submit their application.

They must also be able to pay with a credit card, debit card or an ACH (automated clearing house) payment and be able to upload their digital passport photo in a JPEG file.

Additionally, their current passport can’t be lost, stolen or damaged.

There’s no timetable for when the beta rollout could become a permanent option with expanded processing capabilities.

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Tired of crowded campgrounds? Colorado company taps businesses to host RV travelers overnight

Ann Danielson is expecting a steady stream of visitors this summer to her alpaca ranch southeast of Longmont. The ranch is one of roughly 120 small businesses in Colorado that open up their property overnight to people camping in recreational vehicles in exchange for a little patronage.

This will be the third summer that Danielson, co-owner of Annie’s Alpaca Ranch, has participated in the program by Harvest Hosts, a Colorado-based company that coordinates with businesses across the country, listing more than 5,000 sites as potential stopovers. Campers pay Harvest Hosts an annual membership fee and agree to buy something or contribute in some way to the wineries, breweries, farms, roadside attractions and other locations that provide space for travelers.

Danielson sells products made with alpaca fiber in a small store next to her house at the ranch.

A colorful stuffed Alpaca toy is availlable inside the store at Annie’s Alpaca Ranch in Longmont, Colorado on June 4, 2024. The Alpaca Farm also allows campers and those with RVs to camp overnight and learn more about the animals at the ranch. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

“My first year, I didn’t have that many people. Last year, I had a lot and it’s starting to be a lot again this year,” Danielson said. “If i wanted, I could probably have somebody almost every day.”

Danielson uses an app to let people know when she’s willing to host campers and to keep in touch with guests about their arrival time, the kind of vehicle they’re driving and information about themselves.

Harvest Hosts has grown as more people are hitting the road. Travel by RV boomed in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when many avoided air travel and staying in hotels. More than 11 million households own RVs, up 62% from 2001, according to the RV Industry Association’s website.

Post-pandemic, higher interest rates have been a speed bump for the industry, with sales falling significantly since 2021, but remaining above pre-pandemic levels, Reuters reported. The RV Industry Association said the median age of a first-time buyer dropped to 32 in 2022, down from  41 in 2020.

Harvest Hosts owner Joel Holland is part of the younger demographic that discovered the RV life. Now 39, he and his wife left the Washington, D.C., area when he was 30 and toured the country by motor home for two years.

“I had built a video tech company and was completely burned out. I was sick and tired of cubicles, concrete jungles and driving to work in traffic,” Holland said. “My wife and I didn’t have kids yet. We impulsively purchased an RV and just hit the road. The idea was, ‘Let’s just do the great American road trip until we get sick of it.’”

The couple loved the “proverbial wind in your hair, freedom of the open road,” but didn’t always enjoy the campgrounds. “You’re parked 5 feet away from another RV. The campgrounds are nothing special,” Holland said.

Other campers told Holland about Harvest Hosts, then a mom-and-pop business in Arizona. After settling in Vail, Holland offered to buy the company. He invested heavily in technology to grow the network of sites from around 600 to a few thousand. The majority of his 20 employees are in Colorado.

Annual memberships for campers range from about $84 to $143. The higher level comes with access to more sites. Hosts don’t pay anything. The company said it does background checks on the hosts.

Campers aren’t charged fees, but they’re encouraged to patronize hosts’ stores, restaurants or wineries. Holland said businesses report averaging $13,000 in additional yearly revenue from the overnight guests.

Treat it like your grandmother’s property

One of Harvest Hosts’ code of conduct is to treat the sites “like it’s your grandmother’s property,” Holland said.

“And No. 2 is support the business you visit,” Holland said. “These locations are letting you stay for free. Otherwise you’d be paying quite a lot of money.”

Harvest Hosts checks with businesses to track how things are going. The experience for Valley View Christian Church in Douglas County has been positive, lead pastor Phillip Holland said.

“Harvest Hosts reached out to us a few years ago looking for a location. It looked like something that could be a benefit to our community and to those that are traveling,” Holland said. “It’s not easy to reserve locations to place your camper and RV and it’s incredibly expensive.”

People staying on the property, which is south of Highlands Ranch, often make donations to the church. If they’re around on a Sunday morning, they usually attend the service.

“We are very blessed with the property and the facility that we have available to us,” Holland said. “Monetarily it’s not moving the needle for us, but it does increase awareness of our ministry and to me that’s a great thing.”

Campers must have self-contained vehicles. The hosts don’t provide hook-ups or other services. The stays are intended to be just overnight.

A blog posted by Cruise America, which rents and sells RVs, said a Harvest Hosts membership can quickly pay for itself, considering that campgrounds typically charge $30 and more per night. There are a variety of sites “away from the hustle and bustle of traditional campgrounds.”

However, the blog advises that campers can’t show up at a Harvest Hosts location unannounced. And the campsite surfaces might vary: from concrete to asphalt to gravel, dirt or grass.

The site at Annie’s Alpaca Ranch is a mix of gravel and grass near Danielson’s house and the animals’ pens. She lets people know that her driveway can’t handle some of the bigger rigs.

Two Alpaca look out towards the farmhouse belonging to Annie Danielson, owner of Annie’s Alpaca Ranch in Longmont, Colorado on June 4, 2024. The Alpaca Farm also allows campers and those with RVs to camp overnight and learn more about the animals at the ranch. RVing got big during the pandemic and is still one of the most popular pastimes. Harvest Hosts is a Vail-based company that coordinates with local businesses willing to host overnight campers. The campers must be able to take care of all their own needs: water, bathrooms. Campers are encouraged to patronize the businesses in return for the overnight parking. Harvest Hosts estimates most campers spend about $50 per stay. Harvest Hosts coordinates with local businesses willing to provide overnight parking for RV travelers. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Many of Danielson’s guests like to mingle with the alpacas. Some will feed the animals grain pellets she puts out. The alpacas know that vans or RVs pulling up mean that treats are in store.

Danielson grew up on a cattle farm north of Ames, Iowa. She moved to the Denver area to work for an accounting firm, which closed in 2000. After visiting an alpaca farm and learning more about them, Danielson said she was “taken by the animals.”

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Danielson bought her first alpaca, which is smaller than a llama, in the summer of 2004 and bought the property near Longmont in December of that year. The herd has grown to 21 alpacas and two llamas, which ward off predators. She sells some of the fiber to a small mill in Utah and individuals and takes some of the animals to shows while still doing accounting work.

Based on her experience, Danielson said she would recommend the hosting gig to people who likes socializing. “I enjoy talking to people and knowing the story of where they’ve been, where they’re going.”

Horoscopes June 17, 2024: Greg Kinnear, embrace what life offers

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Venus Williams, 44; Will Forte, 54; Greg Kinnear, 61; Barry Manilow, 81.

Happy Birthday: Focus on what matters most to you. Let your heart, emotions and inner voice dictate how you live and the path you choose. Make personal, financial and physical matters your priorities. Research how you can make the most of things by maintaining a fit lifestyle, investing wisely and having healthy relationships. A positive change is heading your way; embrace what life offers. Your numbers are 5, 11, 19, 26, 33, 39, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Increase the pace and broaden your awareness. What you learn will help you put your life in perspective. Fact-check, and distance yourself from anyone offering misinformation. A passionate approach to life, love and happiness will get you moving in a direction that gratifies the soul. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Choose brain over brawn. Think and carry out a plan that is tailored to your liking. Revisit where your cash goes and how you can up your returns. Don’t shy away from change or what it entails. Distance yourself from iffy situations and pushy people. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Use your energy to meet your goals. Initiate a change that encourages learning and developing something of interest. An offer will tempt you, but first, research and manufacture a plan that doesn’t lead to debt. Listen to your intuition, not someone trying to take your cash. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Feel the love, embrace the moment and enjoy life. Take time for the pastimes and people who make you feel alive. Take a step back from situations that make you uncomfortable or test your patience. Observation will lead to positive change. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You have time to ponder what you want to do next. Refuse to let anyone pressure you into something that isn’t right for you. Put your energy into self-improvement and spending time with someone who brings out your best. Promote positive domestic changes. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Reach out, chase information, and travel mentally or physically to discover new people, places and pastimes. A change can positively impact what you do next, but don’t buy into something you cannot afford. 4 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Home improvements will be costly. Do the work yourself. Researching will help you make the most of a situation that requires knowledge and skills. A chance to barter with someone with expertise you lack will pay off. Control your emotions. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Let your passionate attitude lead the way, and success will follow. Envision how you want things to unfold, and apply hands-on help to ensure you get what you want. Refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans. Build opportunities according to your specific needs. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think big, but take baby steps. Feel out situations and use persuasiveness to inch toward manifesting your objective. Protect your home and meaningful relationships from outside influences. Choose your tribe and what you contribute to carefully. Romance is in the stars. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Money and partnerships will go hand in hand. Respect and cooperation are necessary if you want to achieve your goal. A change at home will require positive energy and enthusiasm to ward off tension and stress. Don’t trust someone who doesn’t have a favorable track record to help. 4 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take your time and do things right the first time, and save yourself aggravation. A sense of how you can make your surroundings functional will lead to projects that keep you occupied and help you stay out of trouble. Trust your instincts and avoid spending unnecessarily. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Change begins with you, so don’t let someone else step in and take over. Put your vote of confidence, energy and cash behind your ideas, skills and vested interests instead of letting someone talk you into something costly and ineffective. Discipline and hard work will pay off. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are optimistic, energetic and informative. You are compassionate and loving.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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SF Giants’ key hits open floodgates as 29-year-old earns win in MLB debut

SAN FRANCISCO – About three hours after he entered the game and roughly 30 minutes following the Giants’ 13-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels, Spencer Bivens was still trying to process everything that happened Sunday.

“It doesn’t really feel real,” Bivens said. “I’m just waiting to wake up from a dream. It’s unbelievable. I really don’t have words for it.”

Selected from Triple-A Sacramento earlier in the day, Bivens, after an unbelievable journey, made his MLB debut Sunday afternoon at a sold-out Oracle Park, less than two weeks before his 30th birthday.

Bivens allowed one run in three innings and was credited with the victory as the Giants avoided getting swept by the Angels and finished their home stand with a 3-3 record. He’s the oldest Giants pitcher to earn a win in his MLB debut since 31-year-old Ace Adams got the victory for the New York Giants on April 15, 1941.

The 6-foot-5 Bivens, a Virginia Beach native who was pitching in France five years ago, finished with five strikeouts. After he allowed a home run to Nolan Schanuel, Bivens retired eight straight batters before he was replaced by Sean Hjelle in the top of the fifth inning.

“You never want to forget what that day is like, that first day,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “Coming out of the bullpen, packed house here, big leagues, especially with what he’s been through in his career, that’s about as good as it gets.”

Bivens was awarded the win after the Giants scored nine runs in the fourth inning, solving, for the moment, anyway, their inability to drive in baserunners from scoring position.

With the Giants trailing 2-0, Thairo Estrada and Brett Wisely delivered two RBI doubles in the fourth inning, alleviating all pent-up pressure and opening the floodgates.

The Giants’ nine-run fourth was their biggest inning all season, as Jorge Soler drilled a three-run homer to left, and Matt Chapman and Austin Slater drove in runs during the rally.

Saturday, Melvin lamented his team’s “terrible” situational hitting as the Giants went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The Giants left five more runners on base for the first three innings Sunday, including two in the third after Wisely doubled and Heliot Ramos singled to start the inning.

“You don’t see a nine spot very often,” Melvin said. “When you come off a loss like that, when you’ve left a lot of guys on base, and the at-bats weren’t great — especially the situational at-bats — it’s good to see them come out and have a game like that because it tests your mettle a little bit.”

Before Sunday’s game, the Giants placed Kyle Harrison, the scheduled starter, on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle sprain, forcing them to start Erik Miller. The Giants, though, also selected the righty Bivens from Triple-A Sacramento.

He was told the news about his promotion on Saturday night as the River Cats were playing in Reno.

“I was caught off guard, to say the least,” said Bivens, who was 4-0 this season with a 2.81 ERA in 41.2 innings with the River Cats. “It was in the middle of our game, during a time when I thought I’d be warming up. It was an awesome surprise.”

The undrafted Bivens grew up in State College, Pennsylvania. According to a November 2022 profile in The Athletic, he dreamed of pitching for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and he made the team in his first year at the school. But a failed marijuana test got him kicked off the team.

Bivens said he stopped smoking weed before he enrolled in school, but there were still remnants of the drug in his system.

After two more years of trying — and failing — to play for Penn State again, Bivens went to school at Rogers State, an NAIA school in Oklahoma.

After school and looking for an opportunity to continue his career despite not getting much interest from big league clubs, Bivens went overseas, first pitching in France and then the Czech Republic.

He returned to North America in 2020 and bounced around various teams and leagues. He signed with the Giants in 2022, finally landing with an affiliated team.

Did Bivens think a day like Sunday was possible when he was pitching in Europe?

“Honestly, probably not,” he said. “But I’m happy I stuck with it and I’m happy I pursued baseball in the U.S. Because if it wasn’t for COVID, I don’t know if I’m here. Not thankful for it, but it looked out for me a little bit in the situation that it gave me.”

He has stayed in Sacramento since the start of the Triple-A season. In May, he was named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the month, the high point of four-plus seasons in the lower levels.

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Sunday was the pinnacle of his career so far.

“There are great stories and you always feel good about someone making their Major League debut, but if you know the travails and everything that he’s been through, this is a real special one,” Melvin said before the game.

The Giants begin a six-game road trip on Monday with a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs, take part in the “Tribute to the Negro Leagues” game against the Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama on Thursday, and have two more games in St. Louis next weekend.

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