Friday, May 25, 2007
For reading while listening to ballgames on the radio
I've been a bit remiss lately about passing along good online baseball reading, so today I'll catch up a bit.
First, if you're not reading Cardboard Gods regularly, you really should add it to your google reader. You'll thank me. It's ostensibly a blog about the author's baseball collection, taken one card at a time--and I know: few things sound more boring than that. But the cards are really only a jumping-off point for author Josh Wilker's stories of . . . well, everything. This post is particularly good, drawing on an oral history of a little-known--because imaginary--punk band.
Another good one to add to your reader is Joe Posnanski's Soul of Baseball blog. Posnanski is a sportswriter for the Kansas City Star, and somehow he hasn't allowed covering the Royals to beat him down. He's taken to blogging far better than most professional writers. He brings to his blog all the enthusiasm and interest in the sport that the best amateur sites have--and that a lot of professional sportswriters seem to have lost along the way.
King Kaufman, who regular readers know is one of my favorite sportswriters, today has some notes he made while listening to Ernie Harwell sit in on a Tigers broadcast the other day. It's all worth reading, but my favorite factoid is this:
Finally, a story that I can't believe Jim didn't pick up: baseball teams visiting Tampa don't like to stay in the Vinoy Hotel . . . because it's haunted:
It's probably good that something is scaring the Devil Rays' opponents.
First, if you're not reading Cardboard Gods regularly, you really should add it to your google reader. You'll thank me. It's ostensibly a blog about the author's baseball collection, taken one card at a time--and I know: few things sound more boring than that. But the cards are really only a jumping-off point for author Josh Wilker's stories of . . . well, everything. This post is particularly good, drawing on an oral history of a little-known--because imaginary--punk band.
Another good one to add to your reader is Joe Posnanski's Soul of Baseball blog. Posnanski is a sportswriter for the Kansas City Star, and somehow he hasn't allowed covering the Royals to beat him down. He's taken to blogging far better than most professional writers. He brings to his blog all the enthusiasm and interest in the sport that the best amateur sites have--and that a lot of professional sportswriters seem to have lost along the way.
King Kaufman, who regular readers know is one of my favorite sportswriters, today has some notes he made while listening to Ernie Harwell sit in on a Tigers broadcast the other day. It's all worth reading, but my favorite factoid is this:
The first night game in Detroit didn't start until about 9:30 p.m. "They thought in those days they had to wait until it got dark," Harwell said. "So everybody was waiting around."It sounds crazy, but you can imagine the thought process that would lead you to wait until dark if you'd never tried this crazy night baseball stuff before.
Finally, a story that I can't believe Jim didn't pick up: baseball teams visiting Tampa don't like to stay in the Vinoy Hotel . . . because it's haunted:
Frank Velasquez, the strength coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates, says he'll never forget his experience early one June morning in 2003 after the team checked in following an evening flight from Toronto.
"It was pretty realistic,'' he began when I asked about it last week. "It was one of those 4 a.m. arrivals. I was so tired I didn't even call for my bags. I went to sleep. And I remember just waking up for no particular reason, and I see a man standing at the end of my bed near the desk.
"I remember vividly. He had on khakis and a white long-sleeve shirt, but his attire wasn't Calvin Klein. It was from another era. And his look, the way his hair was combed, was an older look, but he was a young man. It was maybe 7 in the morning because there was light behind him. He was just standing there looking at me. I didn't feel threatened by him. I kind of looked at him and I closed my eyes. I look back and he's still there. I was so tired I just went back to bed.''
The next day, Velasquez shared his encounter with one of the players during lunch. The player told Velasquez his story sounded like an experience pitcher Scott Williamson had a few days earlier when the Cincinnati Reds stayed at the Vinoy.
It's probably good that something is scaring the Devil Rays' opponents.
Labels: Cardboard Gods, devil rays, ghosts, Joe Posnanski, King Kaufman
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Baseball drawings
Friday, May 11, 2007
You only rent beer
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Numbers
1) While the universe remains a strange and complicated place, one tiny corner of it settled down a bit last weekend, as Mets relief pitcher Lino Urdaneta retired the first batter he faced in his first appearance of the year--thus instantly lowering his ERA from infinity to 162.00.
To that point, Urdaneta's career had consisted of one appearance in 2004, for the Tigers, during which he'd faced six batters and allowed them all to reach base. After five hits and a walk, which resulted in six earned runs, Urdaneta was pulled from the game. His ERA remained mind-bending for the next two seasons as he battled elbow injuries and visa problems, but by the end of Sunday's game, it had plumetted to a mere 81.00. Now it's all the way to 63.00 and falling.
2) Baseball is best when played with between 16 and 20 players. But as any kid can tell you, it's frequently difficult to find that many players. When Matt and I were kids, we played a version of baseball with Kenny and Jeff Busch that was modified for four players. It was a different game, with much more playing the outfield and much less baserunning, but it still resembled baseball.
My nephew and I usually just play catch when we get together in good weather. But recently, wanting to give hitting a try, we decided to employ the services of my parents' dog, Josie, as a roving fielder. It worked reasonably well, but we hadn't played long before one of the reasons dogs aren't part of major league baseball was brought home to me--and my shoes:
Josie is very nice, but Snoopy she ain't.
To that point, Urdaneta's career had consisted of one appearance in 2004, for the Tigers, during which he'd faced six batters and allowed them all to reach base. After five hits and a walk, which resulted in six earned runs, Urdaneta was pulled from the game. His ERA remained mind-bending for the next two seasons as he battled elbow injuries and visa problems, but by the end of Sunday's game, it had plumetted to a mere 81.00. Now it's all the way to 63.00 and falling.
2) Baseball is best when played with between 16 and 20 players. But as any kid can tell you, it's frequently difficult to find that many players. When Matt and I were kids, we played a version of baseball with Kenny and Jeff Busch that was modified for four players. It was a different game, with much more playing the outfield and much less baserunning, but it still resembled baseball.
My nephew and I usually just play catch when we get together in good weather. But recently, wanting to give hitting a try, we decided to employ the services of my parents' dog, Josie, as a roving fielder. It worked reasonably well, but we hadn't played long before one of the reasons dogs aren't part of major league baseball was brought home to me--and my shoes:
Josie is very nice, but Snoopy she ain't.
Labels: infinity, Lino Urdaneta, Mets, playing catch, Snoopy
