Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: July 30, 2018

My time: 5:29.

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I'm back from vacation in sunny Florida, and back to blogging about crossed words!  I did do a couple of the puzzles last week, but as part of the general relaxation and unplugging, I didn't write about them.

Today's theme is baseball terms!  The capper clue is "narrow escape," for CLOSE CALL.  The starred themed answers' last words are all baseball calls.  STATE FAIR, SPACED OUT, PARTY FOUL ("spilling a drink or eating all the guacamole"), GUM BALL, HOTEL SAFE, and AIRSTRIKE are the starred answers.  Good game, Gary Cee.  Good game.

I thought this was tough for a Monday.  For example, SPIFF UP ("add some style to") seems a little abstruse for the easiest day.

I hoped "better than" EVER was going to be "Better Than" EZRA.

Japanese beer brand KIRIN was founded in 1885 as the Japanese Brewing Company.  They claim they are the world's only "first-press beer," because it is made with the first press of the wort.  The can has an image of a kirin on it, the mythological horned, hooved animal, called qilin in Chinese.  Which is also the word for giraffe.

Never heard of children's author and cartoonist ROS Asquith.  She has a lot of children's books and series.

Junior SEAU has a name that makes me think he's a misprint.  His birth name is Tiaina Baul Seau Jr.  He played for the Chargers, Dolphins, and Patriots.  He was a 10-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowl selection, and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was elected posthumously to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.  He shot himself in the chest at the age of 43, sadly.

The New York Rangers are an NHL TEAM.  So are the Philadelphia Flyers.

I was not quite sure about OLLA, a wide-mouthed earthenware pot.

ELO and their song "Rockaria!" were an answer on December 29, 2017.

Nonstick cookware T-FAL appeared on May 15.

We learned that ETON was founded by Henry VI on July 16.

Clever clue: "It lets things slide" is LUBE.

I'm back in the saddle!  With a... less than stellar score on my return.  My shame shall INSPIRE me to do better tomorrow, OAR fail trying!