Can’t quite put my finger on it but there was something very different yet oddly the same about last week’s page 2. Anybody else get that feeling?
My new old friend Al Fitzmorris, former Royals pitcher, just walked in The Landmark front door again for a chat. We talked about everything from the construction industry–which he and his son are in–to playing for Whitey Herzog, as well as his thoughts on the Royals’ recent managerial change.
Fitz is anxious to work with us to get a meet-and-greet lined up in Platte County when baseball weather hits. So that is my assignment.
If you are a business owner whose establishment gets a lot of foot traffic in Platte County, hit me up. We’ll pimp the heck out of this event and with it we’ll be pimping your establishment. Even if you don’t own your own business but know of a spot that would be great for a baseball-themed meet-and-greet with a couple of former Royals this spring, hit me up at ivan@plattecountylandmark.com and we’ll get this train rolling.
I just looked at the back of Al Fitzmorris’ baseball card and this pitching stat jumped out at me: In 1974 he started 27 games and threw nine complete games. The man threw 11 complete games in 1975 out of 35 starts. So nearly one out of every three starts he tossed a complete game. Amazing when you consider today’s MLB, where complete games are a rarity. In 1976, Fitzmorris followed it up with eight complete games in 33 starts.
Times were different in the game of baseball back then.
“If we didn’t throw complete games they had somebody in the minor leagues ready to come take our place,” Fitzmorris told me.
Fitzmorris has a great Whitey Herzog story that I hope he’ll share with you when we get him on Landmark Live.
It was entertaining to get reactions to last week’s page 2. My phone started blowing up with texts early Wednesday evening and continued throughout the day Thursday. Some of the comments included:
“Are you guys up there breaking in the recreational weed law?”
“It’s one thing to pick games before they’re played but a week after. . . you might be able to fool some people. . .”
“Groundhog Day.”
*From a friend who works for Evergy: “Did every Landmark reprint the Dec. 28th edition on A-2 or are you just trolling me with Evergy jokes?”
“At least you’ll get an accurate count of how many people read the paper via your text and phone messages.”
“I think you did that to drive people to your website.”
“This was either savvy marketing or an overly aggressive squirrel.”
Speaking of Evergy, the Missouri Public Service Commission has approved Evergy’s request for a rate increase for their service area that includes Platte County. I know folks in Platte City will be especially excited to know this.
Basically, if you use roughly 1,000 kilowatts per month the rate increase will amount to about $4 per month, we’re told.
But hey, one of the reasons Evergy cited for its rate increase is for “reliability improvements” so it will all be worth it, won’t it? I mean, right? Right?
I didn’t see the words “squirrel control” mentioned in Evergy’s reasoning for the rate hike.
I’m wondering if anybody in Platte City will have comments about the Evergy rate increase the next time the power goes out.
Seems likely.
Looking for last week’s column? You can find it on the web at plattecountylandmark.com/2023/01/05/traumatic-events-and-a-ted-talk-on-news-coverage/
I won’t confirm nor deny whether last week’s page 2 was intended as a website driver. But here’s some news I feel obligated to tell you: there is a new record high in readership for plattecountylandmark.com.
I’m sure you recall I boasted recently that our website had 252,000 page views in November, according to Google Analytics. The latest numbers are in from Google Analytics, and in the month of December plattecountylandmark.com attracted 322,000 page views. That’s an increase of 28% in a month’s time. Great news for our advertisers, which in recent weeks have included national brands such as Staples, Men’s Wearhouse, YouTube TV, and many more.
Listen guys, now that the NFL regular season is over it’s time to head to the casino and cash that futures bet that I advised you to make way back in the Sept. 8 Between the Lines prior to the start of the season. Remember my “buy yourself a vacation home” tip? It was to bet the Eagles large to go over 9.5 wins. The Eagles finished 14-3. This one cashed easily. Throw me a tip if you’re in the mood. Or at least send good vibes.
I do have one pending futures play. In late October, I wagered that the San Francisco 49ers will make it to the Super Bowl. Not win the Super Bowl, they just have to make the Super Bowl. That bet was placed at 5-1 odds, so this would also be a nice one to hit. I jumped in at just the right time–since the time of that wager the 49ers have won 10 straight games.
(Anybody else want to see another Chiefs vs. 49ers Super Bowl? Foley would love it. Email your hopes and dreams to ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
