Look! Just over there...

*nature-program whisper*

It's...the elusive Hufflepuff sock. It's only a toe now, but with a bit of luck and hard work, it will soon grow to full size and join its mate. You may recall, its mate is already full-grown and living on top of the television...a very silly place for a sock to live, but nature's ways are mysterious.

Okay, one more Top Five list before I stop doing it in every post. From now on, Top Five will be gloriously intermittent. Today: the Top Five Baseball Players of My Time! (Meaning I actually have memories of watching these guys play.)
1. Dave Parker. When I was a kid, the Cobra was the man to watch - he had some awesome power in his bat and his arm. I was three when my mother embroidered "Dave Parker's #1 Fan" on a t-shirt for me; I still have that shirt!
2. John Smoltz. He's been my favorite ballplayer since he started with the Braves in 1988. Even after the Tommy John surgery and the year off and the move to closer and the move back to starter, he just throws the best split-finger fastball out there. Shine on, Johnny!
3. Ozzie Smith. If you ever saw the Wizard do his backflip, you'll never ever forget it. He was fast, he was agile, and nothing got past him at shortstop. 13 Gold Gloves!
4. Dale Murphy. The heart of the Braves in the 80's. The youngest player ever to win two consecutive MVP awards, brilliant at the plate and in right field.
5. Willie Stargell. Honestly, you can't say enough about Pop, the man who, in 1979, was the MVP in the NLCS, the World Series, AND the National League. He was a great ballplayer and an inspirational leader - one of the most respected men who ever played the game, and rightfully so.
I would like to extend my apologies to Cal Ripken Jr, Ken Griffey Jr, Joe Morgan, Frank Viola, and Kirby Puckett, who did not make my top five, but would have made my top ten without question. (I just did a top ten list! Hee.)