One more item crossed off the things-to-do-before-I-die list

Like most healthy American males, I have always wanted to spend the night in a sorority house. Or at least I did when I was younger. Well, tonight, I finally get to. OK, so it's not an ACTUAL sorority house, but it might as well be. Anyway, here's the story: I arrived in PHX around 11:30 this morning, picked up the rental car and drove directly to my usual hotel here, the Westin Kierland in north Scottsdale. As I was checking in at the front desk, I couldn't help noticing that the lobby was filled with beautiful young women. So the desk clerk informed me that the hotel was hosting Pi Beta Phi's national convention, which immediately made me feel as if I had died and gone to Heaven -- or at least it would have made me feel that way a few years ago. The desk clerk then went into further detail. "They have been here for a week,'' she said, trying not to sound disdainful. ``They are leaving tomorrow,'' she added, trying not to sound relieved. ... It's 110 degrees here today, which I would normally find bothersome, but considering the circumstances, it's actually a good thing in this case. ... One of you asked on a previous thread about why Andy LaRoche hadn't played lately. In case you missed today's paper, here is the note I had:

Minor matters: Third-base prospect Andy LaRoche is on the seven-day disabled list at Triple-A Las Vegas because of recurring soreness in his right shoulder, where he had a torn labrum surgically repaired last October. LaRoche recently hurt himself making a diving catch, the same way he suffered the initial injury last June, but he isn't expected to miss much more than a week this time.