Snake Bytes: Happy New Year!

Well, tommorrow...

Arizona Sports’ year in review: The top storylines in 2023

https://arizonasports.com/story/3540504/arizona-sports-year-in-review-top-stories-of-2023/
Diamondbacks 2023 Player Reviews: Kevin Ginkel

https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/analysis/diamondbacks-2023-player-reviews-kevin-ginkel

Caleb Roberts’ Versatility Could Open a Path to the Roster

https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/prospects/caleb-roberts-versatility-could-open-a-path-to-the-roster

Braves add veteran Sale in deal with Red Sox

https://www.mlb.com/news/chris-sale-trade-to-braves

Braves Briefing: Vaughn Grissom pens goodbye note to Atlanta

https://www.si.com/mlb/braves/news/braves-briefing-vaughn-grissom-pens-goodbye-note-to-atlanta

Prospect stats of the year — each team’s best of 2023

D-backs: 30 homersIvan Melendez, 3B/1B (No. 7)Fifteen Minor Leaguers hit 30 homers or more in 2023. Only two reached the mark in 100 games or fewer – Cardinals slugger Luken Baker (33 homers, 84 games) and Melendez (30 homers, 96 games). The 2022 Golden Spikes Award winner set the High-A Hillsboro club record with 18 long balls in only 58 contests before getting a promotion to hitter-friendly Double-A Amarillo and adding 12 more there in only 38 games. That’s par for the course for a former Texas Longhorn who set a Division I BBCOR-era record with 32 dingers in his final spring on campus.

https://www.mlb.com/news/one-standout-prospect-stat-from-each-team-2023?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

10 of the wildest box score lines from 2023

https://www.mlb.com/news/unlikely-mlb-stat-lines-2023

Anything Goes

This day in history:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/day/december-31

This day in baseball:
Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash, in 1972.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/December_31

The NHLs winter classic will be tomorrow, in TMobile park, home of the Mariners.
https://www.nhl.com/events/2024-nhl-winter-classic-fan-guide

One of two Scottish singers I really like (the other being Amy MacDonald). Julie Fowlis has CDs of songs sung in Gaelic, etc.

Growing up, my Scottish Grandparents were always next door. We would do a tradition on New Years Day called the first footer. Our version would just be, my grandparents bringing over some food and a bit of money and then us bringing over something. To us anyway, it signified good luck and prosperity in the New Year.

The History of Hogmanay

“First footing” (or the “first foot” in the house after midnight) is still common across Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house the first foot should be a dark-haired male, and he should bring with him symbolic pieces of coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and a wee dram of whisky. The dark-haired male bit is believed to be a throwback to the Viking days, when a big blonde stranger arriving on your door step with a big axe meant big trouble, and probably not a very happy New Year!

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-History-of-Hogmanay/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFirst%20footing%E2%80%9D%20(or%20the,a%20wee%20dram%20of%20whisky

Beer was a soft drink in Russia.
Did DC move to Russia 13 years ago? Maybe that’s why they changed it!

Before 2011, any drink in Russia with less than 10% alcohol content was legally classified as a soft drink.

The most successful predator is a wild dog.

According to research, canines have an 85% success rate when hunting. This is higher than that of a lion or cheetah. A lion only has a 17-19% success rate.