Catching Up with Atahualpa

Last year I made a reference to pitcher Atahualpa Severino, who at the time was with the AA Senators. I predicted big things for him. Well, so far so good: he's at AAA Syracuse this year and appears to be pitching well: a 1.82 ERA after 14.2 innings pitched. He gave up three runs in a third of an inning in his first outing of the year and since then it's been lights out. That's not many innings, but let's check back in another month or so. I just learned that Atahualpa was not even drafted, signed as a non-draftee in 2004. That's quite a contrast to his new teammate, Stephen Strasburg. This morning over coffee Asun and I were discussing change, the idea that everything is change. But I have my doubts: on a cosmic scale, change is very slow. At least, it seems so to me. The personal and the cosmic. Yesterday I read part of an interview with Woody Allen, published in Commonweal. (I had no idea that journal was still being published, and was very happy to learn that it goes on; it's a fine publication.) Woody admits that he's a whiner. Life is senseless! Our horrible fate! Yes, it seems to make no sense; why all this horrible and pointless suffering? As I sometimes say to my students, "you don't have to answer". Meanwhile, among the many wonderful activities fate (or chance, I'm not picky) has brought my way, is that of casual but passionate baseball observer. Atahualpa. Say that out loud: Atahualpa! (Atahualpa, by the way was the las Incan emperor.)