September 02, 2006
There is always somebody worse off than you
22 years old...check.
Pitching for the Boston Red Sox.....check
Cancer...check
Damn, damn damn. Luckily it is a treatable form of lymphoma.
I generally harbor a strong dislike for anything written by Dan Shaughnessy, but his column this morning is spot on.
Let's try to remember that somebody else out there is always doing better than us, and there's always somebody doing worse. We're all day-to-day from here to eternity. Be thankful for what you have. Give your kids a hug.
August 18, 2006
Today's Potty Humor brought to you by MLB
I am not making this up. The starting pitchers for the 1 PM Red Sox - Yankees game today are Wang and Johnson.
Go Red Sox, or in this case, let's hope for a big game from Johnson. Or maybe we should hope for Wang to come up short.
Permalink | Comments (4)August 11, 2006
There is no IBB in Little League
In a nine- and 10-year-old PONY league championship game in Bountiful, Utah, the Yankees lead the Red Sox by one run. The Sox are up in the bottom of the last inning, two outs, a runner on third. At the plate is the Sox' best hitter, a kid named Jordan. On deck is the Sox' worst hitter, a kid named Romney. He's a scrawny cancer survivor who has to take human growth hormone and has a shunt in his brain.
So, you're the coach: Do you intentionally walk the star hitter so you can face the kid who can barely swing?
This is a real story, the ending is at SI.com.
For me this is very easy. Your job as a little league coach is like being a minor league coach in the pros. Job 1 is to develop players, while trying to win. However, when those two conflict, developing players always takes presidence. Romney's health or baseball skill level does not even matter. You don't intentionally walk anybody in Little League. Your pitcher will be better off regardless of what happens with Jordan. If he is going to improve as a pitcher it will be by facing the best the opposition has to offer.
via Baseball Musings, where the comments are active on this one.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 01, 2006
Better Living Through Big Papi
Yesterday I was dog tired all day. Our Sunday consisted of a 13 hour road trip to the middle-of-nowhere, WV to look at a horse for Delaney. My Sunday night consisted of a very poor night's sleep, due primarily to the amount of caffeine in my system. So I was dragging all day on Monday, and twice tried to sit down and watch the Red Sox Monday night. However, every time I started to watch, David Wells was pitching batting practice to the Indians. I was too tired and cranky to watch.
It was late and near bedtime as I flipped over to ESPN to check the score. It was 8-6 Indians in the top of the 9th. The announcers mentioned that if anybody got on base in the bottom of the 9th, David Ortiz would get an at bat. For you poor depraved souls who don't understand the significance of this, Big Papi, who probably has 7-8 years of baseball left to play, is already closing in on the all time records for game winning home runs. Sure enough, the first two batter reached base, and Ortiz came to the plate with two runner one with one out in the bottom of the 9th. And suddenly I felt much better.
I watch that live last night, I watched it again on Baseball Tonight immediately after the game, I watched it again on Sportscenter last night and this morning, and I just watched it again in finding the link. I'm not even close to being tired of it.
Note to Daryl: before you start throwing the name Abreu around, consider today's Soxaholix.
Permalink | Comments (3)July 03, 2006
Nationals 9 - Marlins 1
We were there. Breck has now been to 3 Marlins games. They are 0-3. Two have been blowouts. He was ready to leave in the 5th inning, but I wasn't ready to leave until the 7th inning stretch. I never, ever leave a baseball game before the 7th inning stretch. It's bad karma, or something.
May 25, 2006
The quickest baseball game ever
I just managed a 1:20 Little League game. That is a full six inning game. That might be a world record for a full game at anything below the Little League World Series level. It's rare that we get all six innings in under the 2 hour time limit. Both pitchers threw complete games. I don't think I've ever seen that in any game I've coached, or for that matter any game I played in back in the day. It was truly a masterpiece. The pitching was good, the defense was good, and our second batter one hopped one over the outfield fence.
The final score was 2-1. We won.
Permalink | Comments (1)May 01, 2006
Red Sox 7 - Yankees 3
The scene: 10 PM, the wife is not happy because Breck is still up. It's the bottom of the 8th, Red Sox 4, Yankees 3, two runners on base, Big Papi at the plate.
Wife: What time is Breck going to bed?
Me: Bedtimes don't apply when the Red Sox are on, especially when they are playing the Yankees.
Wife: So is he staying up until midnight?
Me: If Big Papi hits it out here, he can go bed because it'll be a 4 run lead.
Maybe Daryl wants to explain what happened next. Heh.
Big Papi hit a prodigious shot, a full count fastball out to deep center, into a very stiff wind. Even better, he hit it right over Johnny Damon. And I did my first Red Sox late inning victory dance of the year.
Then rookie closer Jonathon " I still haven't given up a run this year" Papelbon came in to slam the door in the 9th, striking out ARod in the process.
And people say baseball is boring.
Permalink | Comments (3)April 10, 2006
Is there an Oscar for Internet video?
This is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. The bottom of the 10th inning from game 6 of the 1986 World Series, recreated in RBI Baseball and synchronized with Vin Sculley's commentary from the game.
Two years ago, watching this would have caused me to go into a crying fit of rage. I can describe exactly where I was and what I was doing when this went down back in 1986. But now that 2004 is in the bag, I can enjoy this for the pure artistic genius that it is.
Conor Lastowka is the creator of this work of art.
March 30, 2006
It's Baseball Geekery Season
With Opening Day literally just around the corner, and my fantasy baseball draft tonight, it's time to geek out on baseball. I plan to write a lot more about baseball this year. I've had my fill of the homeschool community lately ;)
Without further ado, I give you a really well done interview with Bill James, and the text of the email that Red Sox owner John Henry sent to Bill James back in 2002 when he floated the idea of hiring him.
Both links courtesy of The Soxaholix.
BTW, I have done absolutely no research for the draft tonight. After several years of geeking out prior to the draft, and still not winning, I'm drafting more on gut instinct this year.
Permalink | Comments (2)March 07, 2006
Barry Bonds Exposed
If it's true, of course.
Permalink | Comments (0)January 19, 2006
Theo is back
Theo Epstein is returning to the Red Sox.
This is very good news.
Permalink | Comments (2)September 29, 2005
David Ortiz is my God
Bottom of the 8th - Solo HR to tie game.
Bottom of the 9th - Game winning RBI.
3 games to play and all three versus the Yankees in Fenway. The Red Sox must sweep to win the division, or 2 out of 3 forces a tie and a one game playoff in Yankee Stadium.
The wild card is still up for grabs too. There is no guarantee that the consolation prize in the East will be the wild card. The Indians are playing tough.
Does baseball get any better than this?
September 15, 2005
This post of interest only to hardcore baseball geeks
Out Of The Park Baseball, the absolute best baseball sim available, got a nice writeup in the San Fran Chronicle. Once of the interviewees plays in the same online league as I do. (My team is Arizona)
Also, my league has a few openings. The league is free, and the game costs $30, PC only. If you are interested in joining let me know. It's like fantasy baseball, only way, way more detailed, and way more fun.
Permalink | Comments (0)September 05, 2005
What I did on Labor Day
I spent Labor Day celebrating with the best paid union laborers on the planet, major league baseball players.
Breck was not happy with the results, as his Marlins lost 5-2. It was 82 degrees with a breeze, perfect baseball weather. As you can see, we had good seats.
More pictures in the sidebar.
August 28, 2005
Yeah Hawaii
Down 3-1 in the third, they tied it with back to back jacks in the bottom of the 3rd.
Down 6-3, they tied it in the bottom of the sixth to force extra innings.
Then a lead off walk off homerun in the bottom of the 7th sealed the deal.
Well done Ewa Beach, HI Little League. You are world champions.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 24, 2005
Pure Baseball
If you aren't watching the Little League World Series you are missing the best baseball on TV. The skill level these 11-12 year olds are exhibiting is just amazing. I coached 11-12 year olds this year and my kids were not playing the same game these kids are.
Two of the coaches for the Maitland FL team are former major leaguers Dante Bichette and Mike Stanley. Dante Jr may be following his dad into the majors. The kid can play baseball. If I could that kind of talent to coach just once...
The leagues around here are not official little league - in fact we don't even have all-stars. So there is no chance that I'll be coaching in Williamsport ;(
August 12, 2005
Skip this if you are squeamish
Mets outfielders Mike Cameron suffered multiple fractures on his face in this horrific midair collision with Carlos Beltran. The video is here if you care to see what happened.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 05, 2005
A nice antidote to Rafael Palmeiro
A six year boy at a Cincinnati Reds game was stranded when his grandfather had a heart attack in the stands, and died. The Reds players watched the kid in the bullpen, and then in the clubhouse after the game, until his parents could come get him.
Permalink | Comments (0)March 28, 2005
Name That Quote
Standardization is an evil idea. Let’s pound everybody flat, so that nobody has any unfair advantage. Diversity enriches us, almost without exception
1. Dash, in The Incredibles
2. Standardized Testing Guru Kymberly Swygert
3. Jesse Jackson
4. Baseball Sabermetrician Bill James
March 21, 2005
Babe Ruth's Original Contract for Sale
I'll bet it goes for more than the he ever got paid for playing :)
Hat Tip: Ryan
Permalink | Comments (0)February 24, 2005
Rated W for World Series Champs
Relief pitcher Mike Timlin shot hours of video during the Yankees and Cardinals series, then had it professionally edited and sent it out with his Christmas cards.
I don't have to tell you just how bad I want to see that video.
via Beth
Permalink | Comments (0)February 20, 2005
Fantasy Baseball League
I've got openings in my Yahoo fantasy baseball league. The price is right (free). Leave a comment or send an email if you are interested and I'll send you the league ID and password.
Permalink | Comments (3)February 16, 2005
Spring Training Officially Opens Tomorrow
Spring training hasn't even started and the Red Sox - Yankees sparks are already flying.
"Like Rodriguez says," [Trot] Nixon said, "his running stairs at 6 in the morning while I'm sleeping and taking my kids to school. I'm like, well I'm not a deadbeat dad, Alex."
I had that exact same thought when I first saw that Arod quote. I don't think the guy quite understands this fatherhood thing.
This is going to be a fun year.
Permalink | Comments (1)December 23, 2004
Edward Cossette writes again
The author of Bambino's Curse (best baseball blog ever) has resurfaced with an essay over at Bronx Banter.
The Red Sox fan I was is no more. The Red Sox fan whose relationship with the team was built upon a memory of the past, of loss and sorrow, has been transfigured and delivered into a new realm.
Red Sox fans everywhere are now living in what Dante called il punto a cui tutti li tempi son presenti, "the point at which all time is present" (Paradiso, xvii).
And this is why I had to end the Bambino’s Curse weblog. Why I had to let it go to dust and ashes. The blog represented a past I/We have been delivered from.
Permalink | Comments (0)December 11, 2004
Interview with the official score keeper at Fenway
This is an absolutely fascinating interview with the official scorer at Fenway Park. I had no idea that players go the official scorer after a game to try and get errors reversed. He also lists Clemens as one of the most unselfish players he's seen. That too is a surprise.
Permalink | Comments (0)December 07, 2004
Nomah won't win the Series next year either
Nomar signed with the Cubs for a guaranteed $8 million for 1 year.
That's only $52 million less than the Red Sox guaranteed him over 4 years.
It must suck to be a big headed sports star and be that wrong about your market value. I'm sure Mia can make up the difference.
Permalink | Comments (0)November 15, 2004
The hats are in! The hats are in!
Do I really need to say anything else?
November 04, 2004
DC Baseball Blog
The Washington Senators / Greys / Monuments / Gridlock / whatever / have a blog.
Permalink | Comments (4)October 28, 2004
Best.Picture.Ever
If you have to ask - you'll never understand the answer.
Bambino's Curse (the website) is no more
Ed, proprietor at Bambino's Curse, has announced that today will be the final post at Bambino's Curse. As he put it so succiently, "My work here is done."
I have no doubt he'll turn up next baseball season doing something. However, I'm going to miss my daily dose of baseball angst, peppered with pop culture and classic literature references.
Thank you Ed, for 4 years of some of the best writing on the Internet.
Permalink | Comments (0)World Champion Boston Red Sox
God, I like the way that sounds. I think I'll just sit here and say it over and over.
World Champion Boston Red Sox
World Champion Boston Red Sox
World Champion Boston Red Sox
World Champion Boston Red Sox
Dad, Grampy - I hope the view was good from the Skybox. It was damn good in my basement.
Peace Out.
Permalink | Comments (0)October 27, 2004
Dirt Dogs get Schilling
The Boston Dirt Dogs scored an email Q&A with Curt Schilling. He both compliments and slams the media, talks about his faith, Game 6, lots of good stuff here.
Permalink | Comments (0)The Truth About The Curse of The Bambino
Henry Ford, anti-semitism, and presidential aspirations. The truth really is stranger than fiction.
Permalink | Comments (1)October 26, 2004
Pedro el magnífico
What curse? Red Sox 4, Cardinals 1. Pedro retired the last 14 hitters he faced in what was probably his most dominating outing of the year.
I sure wish I was in Boston this week. It's going to be one hell of a party.
Permalink | Comments (0)October 24, 2004
1 down, 3 to go
Red Sox 11, Cardinals 9. I am not going to be getting much sleep over the next week. Schilling, with his ankle held together with duct tape, is up tonight.
Permalink | Comments (0)October 21, 2004
Boston Red Sox - 2004 American League Champs
Red Sox payroll - $120 million
Yankees payroll - $180 million
Celebrating in the middle of Yankee Stadium after completing the greatest comeback in the history of sports.
Priceless
Permalink | Comments (3)October 20, 2004
On The Yankees and Cheating
Cheating is a part of baseball. Pitchers have been scuffing balls since there were balls to scuff. However, with the attempt to cheat comes the responsibility to take it like a man if you are caught.
A-Rod is no man.
In the 4th, when Bellhorn's homer bounced off a fan back into the field, Matsui played it like it hit the wall. The call originally went his way. When the umps conferred and got the call the right by granting Bellhorn his home run, Matsui stood quietly with dignity in left field.
Compare that to the 8th inning. On a slow roller to first, A-Rod very clearly uses his arm to swipe at the pitcher and knock the ball loose. A clear and obvious case of runner interference. The umps, after a conference, got the call right and called A-Rod out, and returned Jeter to first base. A-Rod immediately went into a "what did I do?" act that was embarrassing. He knows damn well what he did. He got caught, and he should take it like a man.
Note - I'm not faulting A-Rod for trying. I would do the same thing in that situation. It's the "what did I do" act after he was busted that irritates me.
In the 9th inning, the umpires felt the need to call in the riot police to line the field. Enough said about that.
Game 7 should be fun.
Update: Here is a very good explanation of the rules involved. It also points put that ARod was clearly guilty of unsportmanslike conduct and could have been ejected from the game.
Permalink | Comments (7)October 05, 2004
11 10 to go
11 10 wins. That is all that stands between The Red Sox and the championship.
Bill Simmons previews the Angels series.
I think it will be Red Sox - Cardinals in the World Series. And thanks to the Roger Clemens meltdown in the All Star Game, the Red Sox will have home field advantage. How sweet is that?
The scheduling gods have placed game 7 of the World Series in the American League park on Halloween. Game 7 at Fenway on Halloween. You'd think Stephen King wrote this script or something.
Play ball.
Permalink | Comments (1)September 30, 2004
The Orioles Did It
That's it. I officially hate the Orioles. It's bad enough that scum sucking Angelos has been holding up baseball in DC for so long. But I could never work up the energy to hate them. What is the point of hating a bunch of perennial losers?
However, now they have crossed the line. It has come out that the source of Johnny Pesky being banned from the Red Sox dugout during games is the evil and vile Orioles. They can't finish above the Red Sox in the standings, so I guess they had to resort to picking on harmless 85 year old baseball legends.
Also, it should be noted the Pesky did not hold the ball in the 1946 World Series. Enos Slaughter was damn fast and he beat the throw. There was no hesitation on Pesky's part. None.
Permalink | Comments (3)September 29, 2004
And In the 33rd year, He said, "Let there be baseball."
Hallelujah! We have baseball in Washington DC. I can assure you the boy and I will be in the stands when the Marlins come to town.
Oh please please let the Red Sox and Expos be scheduled for inter league play next year.
Pretty please?
Team name anybody?
I sort of like the Washington Greys to pay homage to the Negro Leagues. However, marketing Greys as a mascot may present a challenge, and we all know the mascot will be picked primarily on its ability to move plush toys.
Permalink | Comments (5)September 17, 2004
Brilliant or Repulsive?
I'm not sure if I'm impressed or repulsed by this.
Investment banker Michael Mahan spent nearly $25,000 buying tickets for two games against the San Francisco Giants (search) at Dodger Stadium next month.
. . .
Mahan, 28, originally bought the right-field tickets six months ago at the group-discount rate of $3.50 -- but now he's selling them for $15 each.
He has also required every ticket buyer to sign an eight-page contract compelling them to hand over to him any Bonds home run ball they might catch. He would then sell the ball and split the money evenly with the fan who caught it, according to the contract.
The only people in the right-field pavilion free of legal constraints at the two games will be Mahan's parents, two sisters and 8-year-old brother.
On one hand, buying out right field at Dodger Stadium six months advance was a gutsy bet...that may now pay off. On the other hand, it's a fucking baseball. Get over it people. What is so special about home run #700? He's in 3rd place - BFD. Call me when he hits #756 - then I'll be impressed.
Actually - don't bother calling. I'll be watching :)
Note - I love baseball. This is not an anti-baseball rant. However, it's home run 700. What is with the fascination with even numbers? How is this any more significant than home run 699 or 701? Only two home runs matter for Bonds now. Home run 715, to take sole possession of 2nd place all-time, and 756 to pass Hank Aaron.
Hat tip: Brian Carnell
Permalink | Comments (2)Now That's A Fan
From the comments of today's entry at Bambino's Curse.
I'm more exicted about the Red Sox than I am about my wedding which is a little less than 3 wks. away. (I love my husband to be mind you, but, I fear the wedding will be in the way of Red Sox game. :))Permalink | Comments (1)
September 01, 2004
I love an old fashioned pennant race
Dateline Aug 31:
Red Sox 10, Angels 7
Indians 22 Yankees 0
Yankees lead down to 3-1/2 games.
The Sox and Yankees play 6 times in Sept. This is going to be a glorious month of baseball.
PS - I know this isn't really the pennant race - but it damn sure feels like one.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 02, 2004
Roger Clemens Ejected...
from a youth baseball game. As a Little League and youth basketball coach myself, I hate parents like him.
From a coaching perspective, it's worse when it's one of your parents. If our opponent's parents are exhibiting bad sportsmanship, I can use that as a teaching moment. That is difficult to do when the kid is on your team.
Update: Clemens may be getting a bad rap on this one. However, his behavior throughout his career made it easy for us to believe this story.
Permalink | Comments (1)August 01, 2004
Baseball Geeks Unite!
My baseball simulation league is looking for a few more owners. We play with Out of The Park 6. The league itself is free, although you do need to own the software ($35) to play. It's well worth it, rotisserie baseball is a kids game in comparison.
If you poke around the league site, I'm the Florida Marlins.
Email me, or leave a comment if you are interested.
Permalink | Comments (1)July 31, 2004
Nomar no mas
It's official. Nomar is a Cub. As part of a 4 way trade, the Red Sox end up with Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins and Orlando Cabrerra from the Expos.
I'm not thrilled about this. Nomar for Mark Prior would have been great. This does improve the woeful infield defense in Boston as both new Red Sox are very good defensively. Both are having down years offensively, maybe the new home will spark the bats.
The bottom line is are the Red Sox better because of the trade? I'm not sure.
Permalink | Comments (0)July 26, 2004
Giambi may have fatal infection
I hope the press is blowing this out of proportion. Even I don't want to see a Yankee dying.
Well, maybe Jeter.
I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Not even Jeter.
Permalink | Comments (0)TV is depressing
"The mood state Americans are in, on average, when watching television is mildly depressed." ----Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Dana forwarded this quote to me...seems apropos given the week of Democratic raving we are about to face.
Personally, I found TV quite uplifting this weekend, as the Red Sox took 2 /3 from the Yankees. Actually, uplifting might be the wrong word. Schizophrenic is probably a better word. It's July, and all three games had the emotion and atmosphere of October baseball. I think we'll see the Red Sox and Yankees playing 7 for the right to go the World Series again this year.
However, this year the Red Sox will win.
Permalink | Comments (0)July 13, 2004
A Note to Fox TV
Scooter, the animated baseball that explains stuff to kids, would be more useful if you would actually start the All-Star game BEFORE 9 PM EST. It may be summer, but 8 year olds aren't going to be up at midnight to watch the end of game.
My kid bailed out when Soriano went deep to make it 6-0 American League. He said he'd rather read than watch Clemens pitch batting practice. I rather enjoyed watching Clemens get shelled :)
Another thought, it greatly bothers me that Fox TV thinks we need an animated baseball to explain a slider to the kids. Any kid old enough to be up at 9 PM watching baseball should not only know what a slider is, he should be trying to throw one in Little League!
Yes, I know breaking balls are bad for kid's arms. I would never coach a kid to thrown one, but I damn sure expect them to be trying when I'm not looking.
Permalink | Comments (1)On Baseball and Reading
Beth and Ed are both waxing eloquent on baseball and books.
Certainly, no other sport has generated as much written word as baseball.
(football actually brings up more results - but soccer is mixed into those results so I think my statement stands)
As Ed and Beth both point out, baseball and reading are connected in other ways too. Both take a relatively long time, both are done at a somewhat slower pace than many other activities today, and both are often viewed as "old fashioned."
Old fashioned is a badge I'll wear proudly in this case. Our house is over run with books. I think we have 10, maybe 12 bookcases in various rooms. All of them are stuffed. Weekly library trips are mandatory. I get nervous when I don't have something to read. The kids are the same.
And the baseball obsession among the males in the house needs no further elaboration.
I don't want to anoint Beth, Ed, and myself a trend, but I wonder if people deeply attracted to books are also predisposed towards baseball, and vice versa?
It would be an interesting sociology project.
Permalink | Comments (1)June 23, 2004
...blame the fans.
"If you wanted to point a finger at who is responsible for the curse, I think you point first to the fans."
Moneyball author Michael Lewis discusses baseball, Billy Beane, The Red Sox, writing, and all sorts of interesting stuff in this rather long interview.
Permalink | Comments (1)June 14, 2004
Kid 1 - Asshat fan 0
In Texas yesterday, an asshat adult shoved a 4 year kid to the ground in his zeal to get a foul ball hit by Gary Matthews.
Seeing what happened on TV in the clubhouse, St Louis Cardinal Reggie Sanders personally delivered an autographed bat to the kid. He also ended up with a bat autographed by Ranger Kevin Mench, and the Rangers front office gave him a ball signed by Nolan Ryan.
Sweet!
However, the coolest part of the story, which is being mostly glossed over in the media reports, is that before any of the pros got involved, two kids had already given their foul ball souveniers to the 4 year old.
Maybe there is hope for the current generation after all.
Permalink | Comments (2)June 10, 2004
Even the judges are Red Sox fans
A Massachusetts appeals court has ruled the the Red Sox are not liable for injuries in the stands caused by foul balls. The court referred to the danger as obvious.
Well duh! The most surprising thing about this is that Darren Lewis hit a ball hard enough to hurt somebody.
I once had Atlanta Braves tickets in the seats directly behind Ted Turner (He wasn't at the game though). We were maybe 10 rows from the field. I had a hard time enjoying the game that close up. You had to pay attention to every pitch and be ready to duck. The threat of injury up there is very real. It's much safer in the cheap seats, or even better, the luxury boxes :) I sat in a luxury box at Turner Field once too.
Permalink | Comments (0)May 18, 2004
Randy Johnson - Perfect
Arizona 2 8 0 Atlanta 0 0 3
Wow. Only the 16th perfect game in major league history. Even better, I saw the last three innings. I opened Breck's door and said "Randy Johnson is perfect through 6, and it's on TV." He was past me and headed downstairs before I asked him if he wanted to watch with me.
After the game Michelle asked what team Randy Johnson played for and Breck replied, "Arizona Diamondbacks. How could anybody not know that."
I don't think she appreciates the magnitude of what we just saw :)
Permalink | Comments (1)May 10, 2004
Tastier than a knuckle sandwich
Everything you ever wanted to know about the knuckleball, with a lot of Tim Wakefield coverage. The Red Sox have another knuckleballer in the minors too.
Maybe this is my key to fullfilling the major league dream?
Permalink | Comments (0)May 05, 2004
MLB completely, totally, sells out
I don't have the words to decscribe just how much I hate this idea.
Where does it stop? Why not paint the grass red for Spiderman? I am sick and fucking tired of somebody trying to sell me something every waking moment of my life. I hate to sound like a Luddite but this is too much. They are printing advertising on the bases! How long until somebody decides the field itself is just one big billboard? Cover the walls in ads, float 10 blimps over the stadium, I don't care. But the baseball field itself is sacred ground.
The games in question are June 11-13. I have one word.
Boycott.
Don't go. Don't watch on TV. Make it the most unprofitable weekend in baseball history.
And you can be damn sure I won't be going anywhere near a theater to see Spidermman II.
If you are still on the fence about this, just ask yourself this one simple question.
What would Bart Giamatti think about this?
Update (5/7): via Tom Bridge in the comments, Columbia Tri-Star Pictures, sensing a PR disaster, wisely pulled the ads from the playing field.
Permalink | Comments (5)April 26, 2004
Marlins stadium deadline approaching
The Florida Marlins recently extended their deadline for new stadium financing out to May 6. However, they have never said what the"or else" is if the stadium deal falls through.
Could they be moving to Vegas, or DC?
Note: I'm opposed to public financing of stadiums, which seems to be the hold up in Florida.
Permalink | Comments (0)April 15, 2004
CT Coach Jim Calhoun: Hero of RSN
Jim Calhoun, coach of the NCAA basketball national champion Connecticut Huskies, has refused an offer from the evil empire to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Calhoun, a lifelong Red Sox fan, is reported to have said something along the lines of "over my dead body" when advised of the offer.
He will be throwing the first pitch at Fenway though!
via Portland Sox Fan
Permalink | Comments (0)April 13, 2004
Doug Glanville - Baseball's Alpha Geek
Discovered in a thread on Slashdot, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Doug Glanville is a geek. He talks about hitting two homers off of Curt Schilling as revenge for Schilling killing his character in Everquest, taking a trip to Africa, and hanging out with the Astronomy club during spring training.
Permalink | Comments (0)April 09, 2004
Give me an Amen!
From the comments at Bambino's Curse.
"If the Red Sox are my religion, Ed is my pastor."
Amen to that :)
Permalink | Comments (0)April 07, 2004
Red Sox 4 - Orioles 1
A good game. Schilling looked quite sharp for his first outing. The weather was nice, the company was good (Ed, Daryl), and the beer was cold. As usual, Red Sox Nation turned out in force. I would guess it was pretty close to a 50-50 split. And I happy to report that Daryl does not appear to have suffered any permanent damage from his day as an honorary member of Red Sox nation :)
Of course, even a bad day at the ballpark would beat a good day in the office.
I think I got some good pictures of the Sox, I'll post them tonight.
Update: Pictures!
Permalink | Comments (4)April 03, 2004
Johnny Damon: My Hero
Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon says sitting around drinking beer is an important part of his off-season training program.
Permalink | Comments (0)March 30, 2004
It's Baseball Season!
Baseball season has officially begun. Even better, it started with the Yankees losing to the Devil Rays 8-3.
The Red Sox open in Baltimore. I'll be there on Tuesday for Schilling's first start as a Red Sox.
Permalink | Comments (0)February 23, 2004
It's cool to be a Marlins fan
None of this will surprise my son, who has been a diehard Marlins fan since he first pulled on a Marlins t-shirt for the pee-wee league Marlins about 5 years ago.
However, it could be a long baseball season in my house. If they get off to a bad start I will have to deal with his fatalistic attitude. Ten year boys live in a world of black and white. His team either rules or drools, and the status can change several times in a single game. The concept of "it's a long season" just does not resonate with the 10 year old crowd.
If they start hot - it will be even worse. I'm a Red Sox fan. It's bad enough that he 10 and his team has won twice.
Permalink | Comments (0)February 19, 2004
On the Yankees
Athletics Nation on the Arod Deal, "But we all are united in those simple little words...yes indeed, the Yankees do honestly in fact, suck."
Truer worlds have never been spoken!
I made this same point a few days ago, although I didn't use the word suck. I used the phrase dark side of the force.
Same difference though.
Permalink | Comments (1)February 15, 2004
Arod to the Yankees
It seems to be all but a done deal. However, I don't see this as a disaster for the Red Sox at all. Yeah, Arod as a Red Sox would have been really nice, but we don't have the Yankees money. However, I do see a silver lining in this dark cloud hovering over the Bronx.
1. Until this trade, people generally felt the Sox were the team to beat in the AL East this year. RSN puts enough pressure on the team every year as it is. If this tempers expectations a bit that is a good thing.
2. Conversely, some Yankee fans, including the 6 million that just jumped on the bandwagon, and including King George, now believe playing the season is just a formality. With a payroll over $190 million, King George will go berserk the first time the Yankees lose back to back games. That kind of pressure will not be fun to play or manage in. And they still have no pitching.
3. We are the good guys again. After adding Schilling, and making the run at Arod, people were starting to view the Red Sox as just like the Yankees. This clearly delineates the line between the Yankees and the rest of the league. There is no doubt about which team draws its power from the dark side of the force.
4. Bottom line, this is an opportunity, not a problem. And it will make that victory in October all the more sweeter.
Note: I originally posted these thoughts as a comment at Bambino's Curse.
Permalink | Comments (1)February 02, 2004
With Friends Like These...
Scott Boras (ARod's agent) has been doing a really crappy job for his clients the last few years. He has also 1-10 in arbitration, a system that is set up to be about 50/50. Make you wonder if he really was trying to help get Arod to Boston, or if really screwed us and Arod in the negotiations.
Permalink | Comments (1)January 16, 2004
No sense of perspective
"The Cubs and Houston are now like Yankees-Boston. This is going to be great. This is the kind of team I always wanted to be on. I can't wait to get going. . . . (Cubs manager) Dusty (Baker) called me, and I told him I'm so pumped, so hyped, that this is the first time I have ever started lifting weights in December. I have never felt like this. . . . I don't want nothing to keep this team from succeeding the way I know it can."- Sammy Sosa
The Cubs & Houston are like Boston vs. New York?
Maybe if he is referring to the New England Revolution vs the Metro Stars.
There is no comparison in baseball though.
Permalink | Comments (0)December 18, 2003
Unions Suck
Here is a classic example of why I hate labor unions. Alex Rodriguez wants to be a Red Sox. The Red Sox want Arod. The teams have worked out a mutually beneficial trade. The union has effectively killed the trade because they claim it could have a negative effect on baseball salaries.
Excuse me? In what fantatsy world is the union living in which salaries can never go down? If Arod wants to play for the Red Sox in exchange for nothing more than a lifetime supply of New England Clam Chowder, he can damn well do it. Last time I checked, this was America.
I hope Arod and / or the Sox push this into the courts. I know there is a collective bargaining agreement in place, but this is wrong on so many levels. It's also a very bad PR move for the union. They are pissing off their most highly paid member, and one of their most popular too.
Permalink | Comments (2)December 16, 2003
All I want for Christmas is Arod in a Sox uniform
Boston Dirt Dogs, which has been amazingly accurate all off season, is reporting that Manny for ARod is a done deal and should be announced by the end of the week.
I think Harry Carey would have put it best.
Holy Cow!
Permalink | Comments (0)November 29, 2003
Curt Schilling - Red Sox
I don't blog a whole lot about the Red Sox too frequently because it is done so much better at those links on the left. Howver, this is too cool to not blog. Not only is Schilling now a Red Sox, he popped into a Red Sox chatroom to mingle with the fans.
He is well on his way to being the most popular guy in Boston.
Pedro
Schilling
Lowe
Wakefield
Kim
That is one hell of a starting rotation.
Permalink | Comments (1)October 31, 2003
The Marlins Winning Was Not Bad for Baseball
Mike, of Mikes Baseball Rants, has a rather lengthy post up in which he concludes that the Marlins winning the Series was some sort of rip-off for baseball fans and in some way is bad for baseball.
I heartily disagree. And remember, I'm a Red Sox fan!
Mike complains that the "Marlins have no fan base."
Well, duh! They have existed for 11 years. It takes time, generations actually, to build the kind of rabid fan base enjoyed by the Yankees, Red Sox, or Cubs. It may not be possible to build that kind of fan base anymore. There are too many other entertainment options out there, and as been discussed here in the past, baseball is doing a really crappy job of getting kids interested in the game. The bottom line is that the Marlins have won 2 World Series in their 11 year history, which is exactly two more than Mike's SF Giants have won in the same time frame, or exactly two more than the Red Sox have won in my lifetime.
He continues, "So we baseball fans are left with the another Mighty Ducks of a world champion. I feel bad for teams like the A's, Red Sox, and Mariners, who have been building competitive teams for years and have nothing to show for it. The Marlins catch lightning in a bottle and like a fourth-place Smyth Division qualifier eke out series win after series win."
Uh, nobody promised me anything. Winning the World Series is based on first getting there, and then outplaying the other team there with you. There are no bonus runs or extra outs awarded the teams that did better during the regular season. Regular season performance doesn't matter in October, October performance matters in October. The Marlins earned their World Series rings the old fashioned way, they won 4 games first.
He ends with, "However, I argue that we deserve better as fans. After a great postseason, the World Series showed great promise but ultimately fizzled and we awake to the vision of the Marlins as champs, whose flaws will become clearer next season as the World Series beer goggles wear off. But by then we will have next year's one-year wonder to gawk at as it cantors through a World Series title."
I find this completely condescending and insulting to baseball fans everywhere. Fans of the old school teams with high payrolls have no right to post season glory. The teams have to earn it in the field, in October. Marlins fans, however few of them there are, have just as much right to enjoy the game with their team winning as I or Mike does. Marlin fans are also true baseball fans, their teams relative lack of financial stability and large fan base in no way detracts from the significance of their victory. If anything, their victory is good for baseball. Now, Reds fans, Padres fans, Orioles fans all have hope. If the Marlins can pull a couple of unheralded minor leaguers out of their ass, mix in a couple of trading deadline veterans, and win it all, then maybe {insert your team here} can too.
One more thing, I happen to live with a die hard 9 year old Marlins fan. Nothing that brings that kind of joy to a 9 year old baseball fan is a bad thing.
Permalink | Comments (0)October 25, 2003
Marlins Win! Marlins Win!
Marlins 2 - Yankees 0. Holy crap! What a game. Josh Beckett's performance has to go down as one of the all time greats in World Series history. A complete game shutout on a night when he didn't even have his grade A fastball or changeup. I didn't realize he threw a curveball before tonight. Damn. The kid has some future in baseball.
We let Breck stay up to watch. He is still bouncing off the walls. He has been a Marlins fan since he first got assigned to the Marlins in Pee Wee Baseball 4 years ago. So now my son at age 9 is has seen his team win the World Series.
That's actually sort of depressing.
Oh and Fox TV. I think proper protocol is to interview the WINNING manager before you talk to the LOSING manager. Believe it or not, it's NOT all about the Yankees.
Did Bud Selig seem less than enthused about the outcome? All his whining about the payroll disparity in baseball, and the team with the 20th highest payroll and a payroll 1/3 that of the Yankees wins the World Series.
Congratulations 2003 Florida Marlins. I just hope they can afford to keep the nucleus of the team together for a few more years.
Permalink | Comments (2)October 17, 2003
Yankees 6 - Red Sox 5, 11 innings
Fucking Aaron Boone. Thanks Pedro, for insiting you still had it in the 8th when you were obviously gassed. Thanks Grady, for showing some leadership and leaving Pedro out there when your bullpen had an ERA below 1.00 in the playoffs.
The Red Sox were not out played, they were out managed. Torre took his ace out in a critical situation when it was obvious he didn't have it. Grady didn't. And that was the difference in the ball game.
Nothing left to do now but root for the Marlins. Go Marlins!
Permalink | Comments (4)October 16, 2003
A letter to "THE" Cub Fan
Wil Wheaton can feel his pain. Funny, and nice too.
And if your wondering where my Red Sox - Yankees game 7 screed is, I'm not writing anything. I won't risk angering the baseball gods. I don't know what will happen tonight, but I do know one thing.
Nobody will be able to blame me.
Permalink | Comments (0)October 14, 2003
Yankees bullpen has been in trouble before
The Smoking Gun has turned up evidence of previous allegations of assault and bad behavior against the Yankees bullpen, and specifically Jeff Nelson.
Permalink | Comments (0)October 13, 2003
NY Bias at MLB HQ
From Boston Dirt Dogs
MLB Fines Punk-Ass Pedro $50k, Macho Manny $25k, Krime Garcia $10k, and Zimmer the Aggressor $5k, for Fenway Fiasco
We are all assuming Pedro threw at Garcia, but none of us (MLB included) can prove it. Also, Pedro missed him! The pitch was actually a foul ball as the only thing it hit was the bat. This is equal to the fine Clemens got a couple of years ago for throwing a bat at Piazza. See here where Met Shawn Estes got fined $750 for throwing behind Clemens. Is the fine fair? It could be, but it definitely is not in relation to the other fines handed out for the Fenway Fracas.
Manny got hit for $25,000. That seems about right.
Garcia got fined $10,000. Let's see, he left the field of play to take part in a physical assault on a Red Sox grounds keeper. Yeah, he should be fined 20% of what Pedro got for missing him with an attempted beanball.
Don Zimmer is the real winner here. $5000 for attempted felony assault of an opposing team's player? Zimmer should be out of baseball, period.
In the grand scheme of things, with Pedro and Manny making about $17 million a year each, the fines are insignificant financially. However, both Red Sox players were involved in issues that were taking place as part of the game. Zimmer and Garcia were involved in extra curricular activity.
Which is worse?
Permalink | Comments (1)October 12, 2003
Sox - Yankess Game 3
I didn't see the game, I was trapped in hell (read the next post down). However, from the highlights etc..
- Pedro is an asshat. He was obviously throwing at Garcia. There is nothing wrong with that, but you don't throw at the guys head. I think he was trying to goad Clemens into retaliating, which would have likely resulted in Clemens being ejected. To Roger's credit, he didn't take the bait.
- I have no idea what Manny was whining about.
- Pedro has a right to defend himself. Zimmer may be 72 years old, but he also doubles Pedro's weight. Had he tackled Pedro and landed on him serious injury could have been the result. It's also just completely disgusting behavior from a coach to attack a player on the opposing team. If the Yankees had any class Zimmer would be "asked" to retire immediately.
- The bullpen fracas seems to have been initiated by Yankee players attacking a Red Sox grounds keeper who was rooting for the home team. Jeff Nelson has never been accused of being the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he was surprised that a Red Sox employee was rooting for the Sox? Garcia left the playing field to participate in the fight. I guess the 10 Yankees in the bullpen weren't enough.
In summary. Pedro is an ass and has been for years. Garcia is an ass, Clemens has been an ass for 20 years. Jeff Nelson is an ass. Zimmer should retire.
The rest of the series should be fun to watch. And I still think it will go to a game 7 Pedro - Roger rematch.
Permalink | Comments (5)October 09, 2003
The real key to the Red Sox Victory
It wasn't Tim Wakefield's fluttering knuckleball, it wasn't the back from the dead offense, it wasn't any brilliant managerial move by Grady, it was me.
In the second inning last night, Michelle sent me to the grocery store. As you can imagine, I wasn't happy about it. Along with the stuff she needed, I picked up a six pack. I haven't had a beer in probably a month. I'm not quitting or anything, if I have beer in the house I'll drink it, if not, I don't miss it. If your keeping score at home, it was Red Hook ESB Amber Ale.
I got home in the bottom of the third, cracked open a cold brew, and settled onto the couch to enjoy the game. And we all know what happened in the top of the fourth. Ortiz drilled one deep and the Red Sox were on their way.
Coincidence? I don't know. But I owe it to my brothers in Red Sox Nation to not tempt the fates. So tonight, I will be in the same spot on the couch, and like last night, I will drink two Red Hook Amber Ales during the course of the game. As long as they keep winning, I'll keep drinking.
When they win the series, I'll probably drink a lot - but that is a different issue!
Update: This didn't work for game 2. However, I can't be blamed for a lineup that has Gabe Kapler leading off and the team's hottest hitter Todd Walker on the bench. What the hell was Grady thinking?
Permalink | Comments (2)October 06, 2003
Here we come NY
Sounds like Damon will be fine. He'll be in CF Wednesday.
I need to go to bed but my heart rate hasn't dropped back into double digits yet.
Cowboy Up!
Permalink | Comments (1)October 05, 2003
Baseball Update
Red Sox take both at Fenway, just as I predicted. Cowboy up!
The Giants apparently left their hearts in SF, and now they will have all winter to wonder what could have been. The Marlins are playing the best ball in the majors right now and are very capable of taking either the Cubs or the Braves. The resident Marlin fan in the house would rather see them play the Cubs. I think the Marlins have to be the favorite the way they are playing.
Not baseball related - but I did win my college football pool this weekend.
Speaking of college football - Purdue 43, Illinois 10. It that the aroma of Roses I smell in the air? Yeah, its too early for that as the road to Pasadena runs through the Big House and the Horseshoe this year.
Saturday - Babe Ruth Orioles 0, Red Sox 19 in a 4 inning game.
Sunday - Orioles 8, Cubs 15 in a brutal 3-1/2 inning game that hit the 2 hour time limit.
Season record 0-6.
I could do a whole article on what is wrong with his team. Actually, I did, but I deleted it. I decided it was a little too mean spirited. You roll the dice with youth sports, we crapped out this season.
Permalink | Comments (1)October 03, 2003
Marlins up 2-1
The Florida Marlins pulled off another improbable come from victory and now lead the the Giants 2-1 with Dontrell Willis starting tomorrow. This is my worst nightmare. The Red Sox lose and the Marlins move on. I might have to banish my son to his room for the balance of the baseball playoffs. I can't take it.
Permalink | Comments (1)October 02, 2003
Ancestral Places
When I stop to think about ancestral places, a spot on the earth where I know my forefathers walked before me, a place where I can still see what they saw, feel what they felt, connect with my past, only one place comes to mind.
The ODonnell side of the family hails from Boston. Of the six siblings, my father is the only one who ventured far from the nest. He joined the USAF at age 18 or 19 and never looked back. That decision cost me my chance to be a New Englander and all that goes with it. Even though we've spent plenty of time in the Boston area visiting, I've never felt like one of them. I don't have the accent or the point of view of the folks that hail from Boston. Boston was never home to me.
Fenway Park is different. I feel connected to the past there. My great grandfather attended games there. He almost certainly saw Babe Ruth, Cy Young and the greats of that era. My grandfather would have seen some of that era too. My father, growing up in post WWII Boston, would have seen Ted Williams, Dom Dimaggio, Bobby Doerr, and Johnny Pesky play. I never lived in Boston, but most summers he was stationed in the states included a trip to Boston and a game at Fenway was always on the agenda. My Red Sox heroes were guys like Fred Lynn, Jim Rice,
The stadium itself has not changed much since Babe Ruth patrolled the grounds there. The field dimensions are the same, the stadium layout is pretty much the same, and according the locals, the same family of rats still occupy the bowels of the stadium. (Although I suspect the rat family is several hundred generations old by now - sort of puts my 5 generations to shame).
When I'm at Fenway, I can imagine my father and his father sitting in the same seats enjoying a game, complaining about the Red Sox pitching, bitching about the Yankees, and bemoaning the Red Sox lack of success in the postseason.
I guess that would be the unfortunate side of things not changing.
But this year is different. Go Red Sox!
This week's Ecotone writing subject is Ancestal Places.
September 30, 2003
Baseball is turning it's back on the kids
I normally wouldn't disagree with Ed in public like this. Heck, he is a friend. However, he is off-base in today's column. Ed contends that late starts to playoff games are no big deal because the kids weren't going to watch anyway. I'll agree on one level - the late starts are not the problem, they are merely a symptom of a much bigger problem.
The real problem is that Major League Baseball doesn't give a damn about it's next generation of fans. It goes way beyond night games. MLB has sold out to the god of short term profits. The goal in the commissioners office is to maximize revenue right now, the hell with the future. They do that by bowing down to the demands of corporate America and the advertisers. (Is that redundant?) Luxury boxes and season ticket holders are the only fans the MLB cares about. The guy in the bleachers with his 9 year old son? Screw him. He doesn't spend enough.
Ed writes:
In other news, well, it wouldn't be playoff time without reading how late night games are destroying the game of baseball because "the kids can't watch it." Today's it's Callahan in the Herald who laments:In Oakland tomorrow, Pedro is going against Tim Hudson, the best hitting team against the best pitching team, and there is not one 14-year-old kid out there who can realistically see this through to the end. Hell, he can't even tape it and watch it the next day because Game 2 of the series is on at 4:06 Thursday.Fourteen-year-old kids used to live for this moment. This year most 14-year-old kids won't even be able to read about Game 1 in the newspaper Thursday. It will end too late to get in most editions.
First of all, when's the last time you've seen 14 year old kids reading the newspaper?
My 9 year old son reads the sports page. Every page of it. In detail. He then spends the rest of the day enlightening us with obscure stats he read that morning. I practically had to drag him to bed during the Phillies - Marlins series last week. He will not be happy to learn that not only can he not see the end of the game tomorrow, it doesn't even start until 60 minutes after his bedtime.
Ed continues...
The Globe has actually managed to track down a couple kids:
Twelve-year-old Peter Langston and Sam, his 9-year-old brother, have put together a small shrine to the Red Sox in their Easton home, and they weren't happy yesterday when their mother broke the news that the boys won't be allowed to watch tomorrow night's opening playoff game.
OK. So maybe these two guys are the prototypical young baseball fans (a shrine?)
I should invite Ed up to ODonnellWeb galactic headquarters for a look at Breck's room. Off the top of my head....
- 40-50 color 8 X 10's of various baseball players and famous moments forming a border around the room at ceiling level.
- Autographed pictures of Pete Rose and Tony Gwynn
- Picture of Ted Williams mounted on a marble plaque
- 3 or 4 posters (Pedro, Nomar, Zito for sure)
- 5 or 6 felt pennants
- 1995 commemorative Atlanta Braves bat.
- Bat used by Mark Kotsay
- Several thousand baseball cards
- About 12 baseball player bobbleheads
I'm sure there is more...but I've made my point. 8-14 year old boys will idolize somebody. It is part of growing up. The fact that more kids pick basketball or football over baseball today is not a cultural issue as Ed seems to believe. It's bad marketing on the part of baseball.
Baseball seems to believe it's primary customer is the guys buying the corporate boxes and the advertisers buying time. They are wrong. Those guys will always be there as long as the game is healthy. For them it's a business decision. Actually, if baseball were doing a better job of appealing to the common fan they wouldn't have to work so hard to attract advertisers and corporate money. If the talk of the town is the baseball team the advertisers will come running, and corporate America will be begging to associate with the team. However it doesn't work both ways. When baseball loses the kids they lose the future of the game.
September 23, 2003
Wild Card Update
Todd Walker of the Red Sox hit a 3 run homer with 2 out and 3-2 count i nthe bottom of the 9th to tie the game. David "MVP" Ortiz led off the 10th deep over the Monstah to win the game. Magic number for the Sox is down to 3.
In the National League, my son's enthusiasm for the Florida Marlins has rubbed off and I find myself rooting for the Marlins. They possibily set up the knock out blow tonight, stunning the Phillies with 5 runs in the bottom of the 7th to win 5-4. Original Marlin Jeff Conine hit a 3 run homer to tie the game. Whoever in the Marlins organization decided to bring Conine back for the stretch run deserves a big raise. Marlins magic number is 4. I think if they win 1 of the final 2 against the Phillies they can start celebrating as the Marlins finish against the woeful Mets and the Philies finish against the Braves.
Of course, a Red Sox - Marlins World Series would cause a huge problem in my house. I know where my allegience lies, but my son I think would root for the Marlins over the Red Sox. Can I ground him for that?
Permalink | Comments (0)August 31, 2003
Why Baseball in DC matters
Bob Thompson of the Washington Post took his daughter on an 8 day 7 game whirlwind tour of baseball games. It's a wonderful story and well worth the time to read. My upcoming baseball trip is only 2 games Red Sox - White Sox & Phillies - Marlins) and the Hall of Fame in 5 days. I'll write about my trip too, but it won't be as well written as Bob's work. He is a professional after all.
One thing he mentions is how the lack of a team here in DC keeps us all from having those shared memories that are so important to a sense of community. Football just doesn't elicit the same reaction. The season is too short, I think. I mean, I could walk up to just about any long time resident of Boston and they could tell me exactly where they were when Buckner let the grounder roll through his legs. ( I was walking from the Phi Sig house at the University of Illinois to a bar. We thought the series was in the bag and were trying to beat the rush to the bars.) Think anybody around here can remember (or even cares) where they were when the Redskins last won a Superbowl?
Permalink | Comments (0)The Wrong Stuff vs Ball Four
I read these two book consecutively. Ball Four by Jim Bouton is "the" baseball classic. The ultimate insiders look at what really happens in the clubhouse. Maybe it was controversial in 1970, but today, it all seemed pretty tame. Baseball players cheat on their wives and drink too much. Big news there eh? What I did find very interesting in this book was the average players struggle with money. Getting traded was a hardship not because of the move or inconvenience, but because you lost the deposit on your apartment. These guys were really hurting for money a lot of the time.
The Wrong Stuff by Bill Lee is frigging hilarious. There are more than a couple of laugh out loud moments. Bill played right around when free agency became a reality, so the before and after perspective is quite interesting. His stories are much funnier than Bouton's. In fairness, Lee has an entire career to choose from, Bouton wrote about one season. Bouton also stuck to booze, while Bill seemed willing to inhale or ingest just about anything. David Wells may claim to pitch while drunk, but Bill talks about pitching while tripping on psychedelic drugs.
Both books are must reads for any baseball fan.
Permalink | Comments (0)The Little Red (Sox) Book - A Revisionist Red Sox History
What if the Sox hadn't sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees? What if the Kennedys, and not Tom Yawkey had bought the team? What if Ted Williams didn't miss 6 years due to military service? For that matter, what if Bill Lee had been pitching against Bucky Dent, and not Mike Torrez?
Bill "Spaceman" Lee tackles these, and other issues in his very entertaining book. Bill was one of the great characters of baseball - guys like him aren't allowed in the league anymore. You do have to wade through a bit of socialist drivel and quotes from Mao, but Bill is a socialist, and it is his book.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 30, 2003
Spike Lee is an Asshole
Today Spike Lee was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park. He walked out onto the field in Yankees cap and Derek Jeter shirt. I'm surprised the Sox let him on the field, but maybe they figured the very loud chorus of boos raining down from the fans would better make the point.
The Fox broadcast team made no mention of it. I saw it mentioned in the Yahoo sports write up of the game. I'm not linking to it because Yahoo links tend to go bad within a day or two.
Note: Lee was an asshole long before this event. Now he is an even bigger asshole.
Permalink | Comments (3)August 28, 2003
Yet Another Reason to Hate Jeter
No commentary needed.
August 21, 2003
Little League World Series
I'm watching a lot of the LLWS. This is baseball at its purest. No money, no holdouts, no fights, just 9 kids on a side playing their hearts out. Watching it reminds of why I fell in love with the game in the first place.
On a related note, the Saugus MA team, on their way to the USA final, received a call from Nomar and a few other Red Sox prior to their first game in the LLWS. Further, when the games coincide, (like tonight) the Red Sox are tracking the Saugus score on the Green Monster along with the MLB teams. How cool is that? Even better, next week during the Toronto series, the kids from Saugus will be introduced before the game, and will run out to their positions at Fenway as though they were playing.
Again, how cool is that? The new management team of the Red Sox has clue.
Permalink | Comments (0)August 06, 2003
It's a kids game - get a clue
Today I was coaching third base in Little League. Nomar Jr hit a sharp grounder to third, which was fielded cleanly by the 3rd baseman. She (yes, a girl) air mailed the throw to first which resulted in Nomar ending up at second and a run scoring. The opposing coach came out and yelled at this poor girl, instructing her to not attempt any more throws to first.
I was incensed. It's youth baseball, the point is to teach the kids how to play. How the hell is she supposed to learn if the asshat coach is instructing her not to try in an attempt to improve his chance of winning the game. Last year in Pee Wee ball I expected the kids to attempt the throw to first even though there wasn't a kid on the team that could actually throw it that far. It didn't matter - they can learn what to do, even if they can't actually do it yet.
The next inning he was yelling again when she was not in position to take a throw at third because she had ranged to her left to try and field the ball. Actually, I thought she made a decent play. You can't expect a 9 year old to instantly know the shortstop will make that play. As soon as she realized he was going to catch it she headed for third. The shortstop threw the ball to third, hitting her in the back. If anybody was at fault (and really, nobody was) it was the shortstop. The kid fielded the ball and threw it to the correct base. That is really all you can ask for at this age. I came very close to speaking up at that point, but I didn't. Where are her parents? I can guarantee you the first youth coach the treats my kids that way will hear about it immediately. There won't even be any waiting for the end of the game. I did wait for her to pass after the inning and I told her I thought she was doing great. I'm sure it was the only positive reinforcement she heard all day. Part of the reason I volunteer to coach is defensive - to avoid asshat youth coaches that are trying to make up for their own failures as athletes. My concern is not the kid's ego- that will survive. It's the thought that a potential lifelong love of a sport like baseball can be ruined in childhood by some hyped up parent determined to win at all costs.
I have three simple goals for every team I coach.
1. Have fun.
2. Improve as a team every game.
3. Improve individually every game.
The interesting thing is that when we focus on those three things, we tend to win a lot of games anyway.
Oh, and we did win the game 7-4. Nomar Jr. was 2-3 with a walk and 3 RBI's, including the game winning RBI.
Tomorrow we play for the league championship against a team with 3 illegal players. The city knows, they don't care as they don't have time to police the rules. The rules specifically say that you can't play in another league at the same time. The purpose is to avoid superstar studs from AAU or American Legion baseball who are way above the talent level in the city league.
The illegal players are all playing AAU concurrently to the city league. We've played them twice and managed 1 hit in two games. I don't think I could hit their pitching. These kids are throwing 60 mph from 36 feet away. If you do the math, that is about the same reaction time for the batters as they have in professional baseball.
Little League - 60 mph traveling 36 feet = .409 seconds travel time
Pro ball - 90 mph traveling 60 feet = .456 seconds travel time.
Shit. it's actually more difficult to hit in Little League!
And what lesson are these kids learning? That it's OK to cheat, as long as you win.
Great job coach.
Permalink | Comments (0)July 15, 2003
Baseball Uniforms
Bambino's Curse writes about baseball uniforms today.
It seems like Little League uniforms have gone downhill since I was a kid. When I played, we were issued real uniforms. Button up jerseys, the color coordinated stirrup socks, etc. Nomar Jr. this year got a T-Shirt with the logo of the city Parks & Rec. Dept on it, and a number on the back. No team name anywhere. It is the proper color for the San Francisco Giants, and they do have real baseball hats with the Giants logo. Pants are supplied by the parents - and real baseball socks seem to be a thing of the past. He does have socks with a black stripe up the side, sort of an approximation of an old school uniform. Of course, he wears his pant legs up high - showing as much sock as possible.
It's probably a money issue - what isn't these days? Licensing fees on the logos may make the shirts cost prohibitive given whan the city wants to charge for the league. Still - there is something to be said for looking like a real baseball player when you are playing the game.
Permalink | Comments (1)June 29, 2003
First Ups
Remember that little game we played as kids to see who batted first in baseball? One team captain would toss a bat to the other. He would catch it somewhere in the middle, and then the two would alternate hand over hand and whoever capped the bat handle got first ups.
What did we call that?
A reader asked the question in response to an old baseball post and I'm drawing a complete blank.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 28, 2003
Fish out of water
Todd Walker tried to tag up and score on a short fly ball in the 7th inning, with the Red Sox leading 21 to something.
''No, I don't think we'll forget it,'' McKeon said. ''I hope we can do something about it. No way are we going to forget it.''
I have to admit, I think at that point, staying on 3rd base would have been the smart thing to do. Not because of any innate sense of fairness, because the guys you are showing up are throwing hard baseballs at 90+ MPH. There is no need to give them an incentive to throw at you. Would the extra run be worth it if Walker broke his leg sliding into home, or if the Marlins throw at Nomar today and hit him on wrist, knocking him out for the rest of the year?
As the saying goes - sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.
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June 19, 2003
Bambino's Curse gets the call
Ed, poet laureate at Bambino's Curse, has been called up to the big time. For the rest of the baseball season, Bambino's Curse will be published at Fox Sports New England. Fox Sports does not have comments, but if you click on the permalink it takes you back to the Bambino's Curse archives, where comments are functional.
I hope they are paying him well to sell his soul to big media ;)
Is anybody aware of another example of an independent blogger getting a paying gig? I guess Glenn Reynolds would count. He is a law professor that is now getting paid to write about world affairs and technology.
So many people seem to think I'm the actor, maybe that other Chris O'Donnell would be interested in paying me to maintain his online persona? His career seems to be stalled right now, maybe virtual Chris could give his career a boost.
BTW, I'm 99.99% kidding here. That said, if any of his people are reading, feel free to give my people a call. Just give me a day or two to round up somebody to play the part of my people.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 11, 2003
Thanks Houston, I Needed That
I came home from work today to discover that builder's grading subcontractor ruined my yard. I won't go into the ugly details here, but I really though my head was going to explode.
Then I turned on the TV, flipped to ESPN ,and found the Red Sox - Cardinals game on. My first thought was that given how my day was going, the Sox were probably getting crushed. So I was pleasantly surprised to see a 9-0 score in the third inning, in favor of the Red Sox. The Sox won 13-1, and Houston no-hit the Yankees behind 6 pitchers. That is the first 5+ pitcher no-hitter in major league history.
I'm feeling much better now!
I witnessed a multi-pitcher no hitter at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium on 9-11-1991. (the date...yikes!) Kent Merker went 6 innings, Mark Wohlers pitched an inning, and Alejandro Pena closed it out against the Padres.
I could not find a box score to link to. Apparently, there is no database of box scores on the web. That seems like it would be a great web site. Put a flexible front end on the database and let users search for all kinds of interesting things. Of course, the hard part would be the data conversion - getting a couple of hundred thousand box scores into some coherent digital format that could be imported into a database. I'm sure that is why it hasn't been done yet. That would cost a fortune.
Permalink | Comments (5)Babe: The Legend Comes To Life
Babe Ruth was a drunken, philandering bum. He was also incredibly devoted to children and always had time to sign and autograph or chat with a kid. I have to wonder how many home runs he would have hit if he hadn't been playing many games hung over, or probably still drunk from the night before. He was often overweight and he had a horribly unhealthy diet. Still, he dominated baseball for 10+ years and was hitting 40+ homers when few other TEAMS could hit that many over the course of a season.
Also, the called homerun to center field at Wrigley in the 1932 World Series? It didn't happen. He did purposely let it go to 2 strikes before taking a swing. That itself is pretty gutsy. However, the called shot bit seems to be a fabrication of the press that got put into the movie about his life, and thus history was made.
A good book. The Babe really is a study in contradictions. An overweight drunken slob with a different girl or two in every city, who happened to be the most dominate baseball player of his era, and one of the all-time greats. This is a must read for any baseball fan.
(The book is way out of print. I got mine used via Abebooks.com).
Permalink | Comments (0)June 09, 2003
New Rule Ideas for Bud Selig
June 05, 2003
The Great Baseball Roadtrip
This is all very tentative, but he is what I am planning for my son and myself later in the summer.
Day 1 - Drive to Boston
Day 2 - Afternoon game at Fenway. Drive to Cooperstown that evening and spend night.
Day 3 - Baseball Hall of Fame - all day. Drive to Philly that evening and spend night.
Day 4 - Putz around Philly for the day, catch game at The Vet that evening. This is the last year I can see a game in one of the worst baseball parks ever built. After the game, drive home.
I could route thru Pittsburgh and Baltimore....nah. I don't want to kill us. Michelle thinks this is way to much for 4 days. She just doesn't understand ;)
Permalink | Comments (1)June 01, 2003
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Breck and I drove down to Richmond for the Pawtucket Red Sox - Richmond Braves game. Both are Triple A farm teams of their respective namesakes. Ed from Bambino's Curse set it up and took care of getting the tickets. As you can see, he did a fine job. I have never sat in the front row for any paid event. Note - that is not Ed in the picture. Also, that is a scorecard in front of Breck. He keeps score at baseball games. I've never been able to pay close enough attention. I always end up missing a few plays chatting with somebody, or admiring the blonde in the upper deck, whatever. Breck didn't miss any plays. He takes watching a baseball game in person very seriously.
Steve Woodward started for the PawSox. He started the year in Boston and was not happy to be sent down. Coming into the game is ERA was over 10 in Triple A, but he pitched a fine game today.
This is Johnny Estrada, the guy the Braves got in exchange for Kevin Millwood. Millwood pitched a no hitter for the Phillies this year. Estrada still hasn't made it to the major leagues. Yes, that is dust in the frame. You can sort of see the foot of the Red Sox player that was tagged out sliding into home. This was suppossed to be a picture of that play. However, I could not figure out how to get the sequential picture taking feature on my camera to work, so I had to try manually time it. I was about 1/2 second too late.
In the end, The PawSox brought in Hector Almonte to close the game. Given the state of the Boston bullpen one wonders why he hasn't gotten a shot at the big time yet. Is it just me, or does he have a strong physical resemblance to former Sox reliever Rich Garces?
It was a great day at the ballpark. The Pawsox won 4-1. Unfortunately, the parent club didn't do as well, losing their 5th straight, 11-8 at Toronto. The Yankees won, but at least Clemens was denied win #300 again.
Permalink | Comments (2)May 16, 2003
Rod Beck - Man of the People
Once dominant major league closer Rod Beck is in Iowa, playing for the Cubs AAA team and hoping to get back to the majors.
Oh yeah, and he is living in a motor home behind center field, where he can found after games tipping back a few cold ones with whoever happens to drop by.
If the Red Sox wanted him back, would they let him park the RV on Landsdowne Street?
Permalink | Comments (0)May 09, 2003
Beisball been berry beery good to me
Over at The Curse of The Bambino today, Ed is pontificating on why baseball is such an important part of his life. Its a really good post, comparing baseball to reading a book, but its way too deep for ODonnellWeb. We are all about shallow and trite around here.
So, as published by Bob Levy in the Washington Post, the real reason baseball is the best game.
It has the best, and most cliches.
Permalink | Comments (1)April 26, 2003
Baseball, Mom, & Apple Pie
This story about the relationship between Red Sox Kevin Millar and his mother reminded me of my favorite Little League moment with my Mom.
I was 11 or 12. I was pitching. I was not a good pitcher. I was an All-Star caliber catcher in Little League, but I was never a decent pitcher. I did throw a no-hitter once, against the Yankees (heh). To this day, I can't explain it, and I never came close to pitching that well again.
Anyway, I was pitching, and not doing well. I had already hit two batters in the inning. Little League rules dictate that if you hit 3 you are done pitching for the day. I threw a pitch that went way inside and the kid swung, taking the full force of the ball on his knuckles. He dropped the bat and started screaming like a banshee.
At this point, his mother (I'm not making this up!) jumps up on the backstop, screaming at me for hurting her precious child, demanding that I be removed from the game immediately. My mother either pulled her off the backstop or shouted her down, I don't remember exactly. What I do remember is what my Mom said to her, "Your kid is not hurt seriously, he is just a sissy."
While this is going on, I'm arguing with the umpire that since the batter took a full swing and made no attempt to avoid the ball, it should be a foul ball and not a hit batter. I lost that argument, and my day on the mound was over.
BTW, if I had been the one beaned and was crying, my mother would have been the first one to call me sissy for crying on the field.
Like Tom Hanks said, "There is no crying in baseball."
Kevin Millar link re-blogged from Bambino's Curse.
Permalink | Comments (2)April 16, 2003
Baghdad Bob's new gig
Baghdad Bob as a color commentator for the Yankees
or
The Minister of Information for the Red Sox
Permalink | Comments (0)April 03, 2003
Fenway Makeover
At some point in the next 12 months, Red Sox management will decide whether to fix Fenway, or build a new statium. I am very strongly in the Save Fenway camp. In the meantime, they have added 270 seats on top of the Green Monster, and made a few other cosmetic improvements too.
Permalink | Comments (0)March 29, 2003
I'm in the wrong line of work part II
The Detroit Tigers cut (fired) Damien Easly yesterday. He was in year 4 of a 5-year, $29 million contract. The Tigers still owe Easly $14.3 million.
That million, with an M. Baseball player and CEO are the only two jobs where you get paid extravagent amounts for failing and getting canned.
He is a medicore middle infielder. He might be the most overpaid player in baseball history.
I'd be happy being a medicore middle infielder at the major league minimum of $300,000.
Permalink | Comments (0)March 25, 2003
The Real Heros
"They call baseball players heroes?" asks Garciaparra. "The heroes are all those guys in the Middle East risking their lives to insure our lifestyles, in some cases multimillion dollar lifestyle."
Indeed.
Permalink | Comments (0)March 18, 2003
Baseball is a game of the heart
I usually vists Duane's blog for humor. But in a rare moment of seriousness, he nailed the essence of baseball.
An excert:
Loving a baseball team is like loving a woman. You would never ridicule someone's choice of bride to his face.
BTW, the baseball preview issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids is picking the Red Sox to win the East.
Permalink | Comments (0)January 29, 2003
10 days till Spring Training
Pitchers and catchers start reporting in 10 days. One of these years I'm going to make it to Spring Training. I started daydreaming today about hanging out on my deck this summer, cold beer at my side, listening to the Red Sox on the radio. (If you can't be at the park radio is the second best option for baseball. TV is a distant third.) It was too noisy in our old neighborhood to do anything outside.
I live 600 miles from Boston, and although when weather conditions are right, I can pick up AM signals from Boston, its not something you can ever count on. I started googling and found this. It looks like for about $30 I can turn my PC into a low power FM transmitter. That, plus a subscription to MLB.com, will get me the radio feed for every Red Sox game this year. Not only will I be able to listen on the deck all summer, I'll be able to fall asleep to the Sox when they are on the West Coast. I did that all the time as a kid.
I have an 802.11b network up in the house, so I could just take my laptop out on the deck and pull in the games that way. Something just doesn't feel right about it though. I need a cheap transistor radio out there with me. The games just sound better that way.
Michelle is not going to share my excitement about this :)
Permalink | Comments (0)January 12, 2003
Steinbrenner as Darth Vadar
The evil empire extends its tentacles even into Latin America,"
Red Sox president Larry Lucchino commenting on losing the bidding war for Cuban star Jose Contreras.
This story was all over the news a couple of weeks ago, but the crack investigative team here at O'DonnellWeb has uncovered even more startling evidence that Yankee's owner George Steinbrenner is indeed Darth Vadar.
Just as young Anakin was once the embodiment of all that is pure and good before turning to the dark side, we here at O'DonnellWeb have learned that the evil Steinbrenner once had a good side too. In fact, he started his sports career as an assistant football coach at Purdue University.
We have not yet determined what unfortunate events led young George from the wholesomeness of Big 10 Football to the cesspool that is The New York Yankees, but we are working on it.
And speaking of young Anakin Skywalker, we obviously haven't seen the next movie yet, when we expect to see the events that lead to his joining the dark side. But the guy was looking at a lifetime of sex with Queen Amidala, and we here at O'DonnellWeb can't even imagine the event, or series of events, that would make The Dark Side look better than that!
Permalink | Comments (0)October 24, 2002
The Boston Expos?
Reports are that MLB is considering making the Expos a one year tenant of Fenway Park. Something just seems not right about this. With Washington DC begging for a baseball team, and RFK stadium could be renovated to handle baseball fairly quickly, why would baseball put the Expos in Boston?
Update 10/25: False alarm. It does look like ther Expos may play some games in Puerto Rico though.
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