Saturday, October 04, 2008
Baseball HD chili
"HD" stands for "Highly Delicious" (or, perhaps, "Holycow, Dodgers!").
In retrospect, Levi and I saw this coming at Wrigley Field on September 2nd, when we saw the Astros beat the Cubs 9-7 in 11 innings -- a game which obviously impressed neither of us enough to write about it on this blog. (Also, that game lasted long enough that we had to get to bed, one of us to go to work, and the other of us to catch a flight back to L.A.)
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Tracking team travels
Both the Cubs and White Sox use United Airlines charters for their travel needs, and United always assigns them the same flight numbers: 9904 for the Sox, 9907 for the Cubs.
And therefore, it's possible to track their flights: 9904 and 9907. Because it's a charter service, you'll see some airports that aren't normally served by United but that are closer to the hotel or stadium: Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City to meet the Royals, for example, or St. Petersburg/Clearwater International for Rays games.
And therefore, it's possible to track their flights: 9904 and 9907. Because it's a charter service, you'll see some airports that aren't normally served by United but that are closer to the hotel or stadium: Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City to meet the Royals, for example, or St. Petersburg/Clearwater International for Rays games.
Labels: cubs, united airlines, white sox
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Hit by pitch with the bases loaded: the most exciting play in baseball
And it's even more exciting when it happens in the bottom of the 11th inning, thus becoming a walk-off hit by pitch, as it did in today's Braves-Cubs game.
I watched this game because Levi e-mailed me this morning to tell me that WGN was doing a "retro" telecast to commemorate their 60th anniversary of broadcasting Cubs games, in time for me to use DirecTV's web site to schedule my DVR to record it.
As it turned out, it was much less elaborate than when Fox gave the "retro" treatment to a Cubs-Dodgers game circa 2000. For the first two innings, WGN presented the game in black and white, with only a couple of camera angles; they also had their character generator on the simplest possible setting (white text only, but with a modern-day drop shadow), which continued through the entire game. And they used a cool "WGN 9 TV" logo that I hadn't seen before -- at least, I didn't recognize it from any of the old Chicago TV Guides I have in my collection.
Also, this was the AT&T poll (which should have been the "Bell System" poll, but I know it can be hard getting sponsors to go along with such things):
"Bikini" won in a landslide.
I watched this game because Levi e-mailed me this morning to tell me that WGN was doing a "retro" telecast to commemorate their 60th anniversary of broadcasting Cubs games, in time for me to use DirecTV's web site to schedule my DVR to record it.
As it turned out, it was much less elaborate than when Fox gave the "retro" treatment to a Cubs-Dodgers game circa 2000. For the first two innings, WGN presented the game in black and white, with only a couple of camera angles; they also had their character generator on the simplest possible setting (white text only, but with a modern-day drop shadow), which continued through the entire game. And they used a cool "WGN 9 TV" logo that I hadn't seen before -- at least, I didn't recognize it from any of the old Chicago TV Guides I have in my collection.
Also, this was the AT&T poll (which should have been the "Bell System" poll, but I know it can be hard getting sponsors to go along with such things):
Which of these new things are you enjoying the most?
A. Velcro
B. Vinyl 33-1/3 LP
C. Bikini
D. Scrabble
E. NASCAR
"Bikini" won in a landslide.
Labels: braves, cubs, directv, tv
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Also in attendance
At tonight's Cubs game, though I didn't notice it, both Stacey and our friend Becky assured me that the message board between innings at one point read:
I don't think he was in our section.
The Chicago Cubs welcome Smellosaurus Rex
I don't think he was in our section.
Labels: cubs, Smellosaurus Rex
Monday, April 09, 2007
Wrigley Field
As I'm about to head out into the cold and show to enjoy yet another Opening Day at Wrigley Field, I thought it would be appropriate to point out Michael Barrett's thoughts about the future of the ballpark.
The Tribune asked him, and some other Cubs, about the ballpark because of the uncertainty created by impending new ownership. Barrett, it turns out, thinks the ballpark should stay exactly the same.
The same, that is, except for one little improvement:
Well, that should be easy enough.
The Tribune asked him, and some other Cubs, about the ballpark because of the uncertainty created by impending new ownership. Barrett, it turns out, thinks the ballpark should stay exactly the same.
The same, that is, except for one little improvement:
"Ideally, especially for this time of year, you'd like to see a dome put on the outside of it," Barrett said. "Don't change anything about Wrigley Field. Just reinforce it and have a dome covering it."
Well, that should be easy enough.
Labels: cubs, Michael Barrett, Opening Day, Tribune, Wrigley Field
Monday, April 02, 2007
Opening Day 2007: Hour 5
2:00 -- Unfortunately, there are only two games going on right now. Or maybe it's fortunate, so I can follow each one better.
2:06 -- So if there exists a baseball-themed ad for Esurance.com, why did I see their basketball-themed ad several times already today during other baseball games?
2:15 -- DirecTV is offering a fight on Saturday night on pay-per-view for $24.95, "or," as the announcer says, "as part of your regular Showtime subscription." Showtime is $12 per month, with only a one-month-at-a-time commitment.
2:19 -- The Aflac trivia question on NESN is "Other than Schilling, Martinez, and Clemens, who was the last Sox pitcher with back-to-back Opening Day starts?" If you have to qualify it that much, perhaps you should find another way to ask the question, or perhaps you should ask a different question.
2:20 -- You can tell it's a little windy in Kansas City when the fountain water gets blown into the shot from the centerfield cameras.
2:23 -- Hey, it's a pinball-themed Pepsi commercial, which makes me want to play pinball more than it makes me want to drink Pepsi.
2:26 -- I happen to see on the ESPN ticker that the Tribune Company is going to be getting rid of the Cubs at the end of the season. So let me be the first to predict a World Series victory in 2008. Yes, for the 100th anniversary of the last one.
2:30 -- The answer to that trivia question is Dennis Eckersley, who pitched on back-to-back Opening Days in 1982 and 1983 -- actually, he was the Opening Day starter from 1979 through 1983.
2:34 -- NESN's score bar is bugging me because the number of outs isn't right next to the inning count. As far as I'm concerned, the number of outs is very closely related to the inning count. Compare ESPN's version, which is better.
You can also see the batter a lot better on ESPN, at the cost of the grass looking really, really bright.
2:49 -- Eric Byrnes of the Diamondbacks makes a throw from right field with such force that he winds up doing a somersault. It's very impressive.
2:54 -- Apparently, the fountains at Kaufmann Stadium were "worked on" over the winter, so it's no wonder they're getting in the way of the camera shots.
2:59 -- Southwest Airlines has new nonstop service from Denver to Tampa starting in May. Except they say "Tampa Bay" in the commercial, which would seem to indicate that they're using a floatplane, given that Tampa Bay is a body of water. I think I complained about this last year, but this time I have a screenshot as evidence.
2:06 -- So if there exists a baseball-themed ad for Esurance.com, why did I see their basketball-themed ad several times already today during other baseball games?
2:15 -- DirecTV is offering a fight on Saturday night on pay-per-view for $24.95, "or," as the announcer says, "as part of your regular Showtime subscription." Showtime is $12 per month, with only a one-month-at-a-time commitment.
2:19 -- The Aflac trivia question on NESN is "Other than Schilling, Martinez, and Clemens, who was the last Sox pitcher with back-to-back Opening Day starts?" If you have to qualify it that much, perhaps you should find another way to ask the question, or perhaps you should ask a different question.
2:20 -- You can tell it's a little windy in Kansas City when the fountain water gets blown into the shot from the centerfield cameras.
2:23 -- Hey, it's a pinball-themed Pepsi commercial, which makes me want to play pinball more than it makes me want to drink Pepsi.
2:26 -- I happen to see on the ESPN ticker that the Tribune Company is going to be getting rid of the Cubs at the end of the season. So let me be the first to predict a World Series victory in 2008. Yes, for the 100th anniversary of the last one.
2:30 -- The answer to that trivia question is Dennis Eckersley, who pitched on back-to-back Opening Days in 1982 and 1983 -- actually, he was the Opening Day starter from 1979 through 1983.
2:34 -- NESN's score bar is bugging me because the number of outs isn't right next to the inning count. As far as I'm concerned, the number of outs is very closely related to the inning count. Compare ESPN's version, which is better.
You can also see the batter a lot better on ESPN, at the cost of the grass looking really, really bright.
2:49 -- Eric Byrnes of the Diamondbacks makes a throw from right field with such force that he winds up doing a somersault. It's very impressive.
2:54 -- Apparently, the fountains at Kaufmann Stadium were "worked on" over the winter, so it's no wonder they're getting in the way of the camera shots.
2:59 -- Southwest Airlines has new nonstop service from Denver to Tampa starting in May. Except they say "Tampa Bay" in the commercial, which would seem to indicate that they're using a floatplane, given that Tampa Bay is a body of water. I think I complained about this last year, but this time I have a screenshot as evidence.
Labels: cubs, curt schilling, dennis eckersley, diamondbacks, eric byrnes, kauffman stadium, southwest airlines
Opening Day 2007: Hour 3
12:00 -- Salsa, chips, and cheese -- lunch of champions!
12:07 -- Say what you will about TBS, I enjoy their "scorecard" graphics.
12:09 -- On WGN, they're interviewing Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who at one point refers to baseball as "the industry," which is just a horrible way to refer to baseball, although I'm sure it feels like it from his perspective.
12:16 -- Hey, Ken Griffey Jr. is in right field for the Reds! He's still around?
12:17 -- The Reds catcher still has the old Mr. Redlegs design on his mask (well, the old new Mr. Redlegs design, without a mustache, which has now been replaced by the new old Mr. Redlegs design).
12:20 -- Ah, the Midwest!
12:25 -- Mrs. Owner of the Dodgers is being interviewed at hipster hangout named Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood, where I've been once. Various Dodgers people went to various establishments today to watch the game with the fans. Given the game action on the TVs in the background, I can tell that this interview is not airing live.
12:32 -- A woman with a loud and high-pitched voice is sitting very close to a microphone that TBS is using to capture crowd noise, and she's cheering for Tom Gordon: "Come on, Flash!"
12:41 -- At this moment, both the Braves-Phillies and Blue Jays-Tigers games are tied at 3 with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
12:44 -- At this moment, a cat has jumped onto my lap to watch her beloved Tigers.
12:49 -- Tigers and Blue Jays go into extra innings. The Braves-Phillies game already went into extra innings, while I wasn't paying attention.
12:54 -- Bud Selig is in the booth at the White Sox-Indians game. Hawk Harrelson tells him he's the best commissioner since 1959, with the late Bowie Kuhn second. Uh-huh.
12:57 -- W.B. Mason has helpfully added "Office Supplies" to their outfield wall advertising this year. Now we can assume that things there are just like they are at Dunder Mifflin, as seen on TV's "The Office."
12:07 -- Say what you will about TBS, I enjoy their "scorecard" graphics.
12:09 -- On WGN, they're interviewing Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who at one point refers to baseball as "the industry," which is just a horrible way to refer to baseball, although I'm sure it feels like it from his perspective.
12:16 -- Hey, Ken Griffey Jr. is in right field for the Reds! He's still around?
12:17 -- The Reds catcher still has the old Mr. Redlegs design on his mask (well, the old new Mr. Redlegs design, without a mustache, which has now been replaced by the new old Mr. Redlegs design).
12:20 -- Ah, the Midwest!
12:25 -- Mrs. Owner of the Dodgers is being interviewed at hipster hangout named Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood, where I've been once. Various Dodgers people went to various establishments today to watch the game with the fans. Given the game action on the TVs in the background, I can tell that this interview is not airing live.
12:32 -- A woman with a loud and high-pitched voice is sitting very close to a microphone that TBS is using to capture crowd noise, and she's cheering for Tom Gordon: "Come on, Flash!"
12:41 -- At this moment, both the Braves-Phillies and Blue Jays-Tigers games are tied at 3 with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
12:44 -- At this moment, a cat has jumped onto my lap to watch her beloved Tigers.
12:49 -- Tigers and Blue Jays go into extra innings. The Braves-Phillies game already went into extra innings, while I wasn't paying attention.
12:54 -- Bud Selig is in the booth at the White Sox-Indians game. Hawk Harrelson tells him he's the best commissioner since 1959, with the late Bowie Kuhn second. Uh-huh.
12:57 -- W.B. Mason has helpfully added "Office Supplies" to their outfield wall advertising this year. Now we can assume that things there are just like they are at Dunder Mifflin, as seen on TV's "The Office."
Labels: bacon, blue jays, braves, bud selig, cubs, indians, jamie mccourt, ken griffey jr., ken harrelson, phillies, reds, tigers, tom gordon, white sox
Opening Day 2007: Hour 2
11:00 -- Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds (ESPN 2, WGN, and FSN Ohio)
L.A. Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers (FSN Prime Ticket)
Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
11:01 -- Vin Scully! "And a pleasant good day to you wherever you may be." Now it really is baseball season.
11:13 -- Hey, a new family movie starring Ice Cube! Looks about as good as the Devil Rays.
11:15 -- There sure are a lot of car commercials on YES. But I thought no one in New York drove.
11:19 -- The Blue Jays caps have a "T" instead of a "J," I notice. Too bad, because I liked the "J." Maybe that's still the home cap.
11:21 -- Two female fans in the upper deck of Comerica Park are interviewed. One of them refers to it as "Tiger Stadium" and is quickly corrected by the interviewer.
11:24 -- Since the Reds are wearing their new mustachioed Mr. Redlegs patches, perhaps they should all have grown mustaches to match.
11:25 -- The Superstation WGN Scoreboard graphic has a problem, I say.
I contend that "Sponsored By:" should either be right-justified so it's against the sponsor graphic, or that graphic should say "Sponsored by Scotts" (which would work fine even with the graphic there on the right).
11:29 -- C.C. Sabathia looks a little large.
11:31 -- The White Sox announcers start talking about how one should not judge a book by its cover when it comes to C.C. Sabathia. I guess I've been properly chastised! However, Darin Erstad promptly hit a 2-run homer off him to pull the White Sox to within 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st.
11:37 -- Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley is in the stands at U.S. Cellular Field, but does not have to be interviewed by someone with a radio mike.
11:39 -- The Yankees infield has been a bit error-prone today, which has helped the Devil Rays tie.
11:40 -- First appearance of Joe Maddon, coming out for an explanation from the umpire about a player being called out on a bunt that hits him in fair territory.
11:42 -- Rocco Baldelli hits an RBI single, and the Devil Rays are leading.
11:44 -- Amtrak -- the Washington Nationals of transportation!
11:49 -- Hey, Dr. Cox from "Scrubs" is in that movie with Ice Cube. Well, John C. McGinley, I mean. I assume he's not playing the same character he plays on "Scrubs." Not to be confused with John C. Reilly, who is not to be confused with Andy Richter, who is not to be confused with John Candy.
11:54 -- Comcast SportsNet's "Scores on the Fours" should perhaps be renamed "Scores on Most But Not All of the Fours."
L.A. Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers (FSN Prime Ticket)
Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
11:01 -- Vin Scully! "And a pleasant good day to you wherever you may be." Now it really is baseball season.
11:13 -- Hey, a new family movie starring Ice Cube! Looks about as good as the Devil Rays.
11:15 -- There sure are a lot of car commercials on YES. But I thought no one in New York drove.
11:19 -- The Blue Jays caps have a "T" instead of a "J," I notice. Too bad, because I liked the "J." Maybe that's still the home cap.
11:21 -- Two female fans in the upper deck of Comerica Park are interviewed. One of them refers to it as "Tiger Stadium" and is quickly corrected by the interviewer.
11:24 -- Since the Reds are wearing their new mustachioed Mr. Redlegs patches, perhaps they should all have grown mustaches to match.
11:25 -- The Superstation WGN Scoreboard graphic has a problem, I say.
I contend that "Sponsored By:" should either be right-justified so it's against the sponsor graphic, or that graphic should say "Sponsored by Scotts" (which would work fine even with the graphic there on the right).
11:29 -- C.C. Sabathia looks a little large.
11:31 -- The White Sox announcers start talking about how one should not judge a book by its cover when it comes to C.C. Sabathia. I guess I've been properly chastised! However, Darin Erstad promptly hit a 2-run homer off him to pull the White Sox to within 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st.
11:37 -- Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley is in the stands at U.S. Cellular Field, but does not have to be interviewed by someone with a radio mike.
11:39 -- The Yankees infield has been a bit error-prone today, which has helped the Devil Rays tie.
11:40 -- First appearance of Joe Maddon, coming out for an explanation from the umpire about a player being called out on a bunt that hits him in fair territory.
11:42 -- Rocco Baldelli hits an RBI single, and the Devil Rays are leading.
11:44 -- Amtrak -- the Washington Nationals of transportation!
11:49 -- Hey, Dr. Cox from "Scrubs" is in that movie with Ice Cube. Well, John C. McGinley, I mean. I assume he's not playing the same character he plays on "Scrubs." Not to be confused with John C. Reilly, who is not to be confused with Andy Richter, who is not to be confused with John Candy.
11:54 -- Comcast SportsNet's "Scores on the Fours" should perhaps be renamed "Scores on Most But Not All of the Fours."
Labels: amtrak, brewers, c.c. sabathia, cubs, darin erstad, devil rays, dodgers, indians, joe maddon, nationals, reds, richard m. daley, rocco baldelli, vin scully, white sox, yankees
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The predictions
Yes, my Sports Illustrated baseball preview issue arrived a week ago, but their predictions were printed on a dark green background in white text that came out a little blurry in my copy. And that's why it's taken me so long to post these!
Also, I realize I haven't yet used Bill James's quick-and-dirty prediction formula as I've done previously.
The biggest surprise in the Sports Illustrated predictions is the position of the Cubs, but I guess that's the eternal optimism for you.
Their World Series pick is for a freeway series, Angels over the Dodgers. Incidentally, they've changed the parking procedures at Dodger Stadium this year (and raised the parking rate from $10 to $15 in the process), so any late-arriving fans can be ascribed to the parking attendants not knowing what they're doing, rather than the usual apathy.
My schedule is clear for Monday and MLB Extra Innings will definitely be on DirecTV, if nowhere else, so I'm ready for another year of Opening Day blogging.
(Note primarily to myself for future reference: here's how I fixed the problem with the table.)
Also, I realize I haven't yet used Bill James's quick-and-dirty prediction formula as I've done previously.
| Sports Illustrated | Bill James formula |
| AL East | |
| 1. N.Y. Yankees | 1. N.Y. Yankees (96-66) |
| 2. Boston Red Sox | 2. Boston Red Sox (89-73) |
| 3. Toronto Blue Jays | 3. Toronto Blue Jays (85-77) |
| 4. Baltimore Orioles | 4. Baltimore Orioles (71-91) |
| 5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (63-99) |
| AL Central | |
| 1. Cleveland Indians | 1. Chicago White Sox (93-69) |
| 2. Detroit Tigers | 2. Minnesota Twins (92-70) |
| 3. Chicago White Sox | 3. Detroit Tigers (87-75) |
| 4. Minnesota Twins | 4. Cleveland Indians (83-79) |
| 5. Kansas City Royals | 5. Kansas City Royals (60-102) |
| AL West | |
| 1. L.A. Angels | 1. L.A. Angels (91-71) |
| 2. Oakland Athletics | 1. Oakland Athletics (91-71) |
| 3. Texas Rangers | 3. Texas Rangers (80-82) |
| 4. Seattle Mariners | 4. Seattle Mariners (75-87) |
| NL East | |
| 1. N.Y. Mets | 1. N.Y. Mets (92-70) |
| 2. Atlanta Braves | 2. Philadelphia Phillies (86-76) |
| 3. Philadelphia Phillies | 3. Atlanta Braves (83-79) |
| 4. Florida Marlins | 4. Florida Marlins (80-82) |
| 5. Washington Nationals | 5. Washington Nationals (74-88) |
| NL Central | |
| 1. St. Louis Cardinals | 1. St. Louis Cardinals (89-73) |
| 2. Chicago Cubs | 2. Houston Astros (84-78) |
| 3. Milwaukee Brewers | 3. Cincinnati Reds (78-84) |
| 4. Houston Astros | 4. Milwaukee Brewers (77-85) |
| 5. Pittsburgh Pirates | 5. Chicago Cubs (70-92) |
| 6. Cincinnati Reds | 6. Pittsburgh Pirates (67-95) |
| NL West | |
| 1. L.A. Dodgers | 1. San Diego Padres (86-76) |
| 2. Arizona Diamondbacks | 2. L.A. Dodgers (82-80) |
| 3. San Diego Padres | 3. Arizona Diamondbacks (76-86) |
| 4. Colorado Rockies | 3. San Francisco Giants (76-86) |
| 5. San Francisco Giants | 5. Colorado Rockies (73-89) |
The biggest surprise in the Sports Illustrated predictions is the position of the Cubs, but I guess that's the eternal optimism for you.
Their World Series pick is for a freeway series, Angels over the Dodgers. Incidentally, they've changed the parking procedures at Dodger Stadium this year (and raised the parking rate from $10 to $15 in the process), so any late-arriving fans can be ascribed to the parking attendants not knowing what they're doing, rather than the usual apathy.
My schedule is clear for Monday and MLB Extra Innings will definitely be on DirecTV, if nowhere else, so I'm ready for another year of Opening Day blogging.
(Note primarily to myself for future reference: here's how I fixed the problem with the table.)
Labels: bill james, cubs, dodgers, predictions, sports illustrated
Monday, February 12, 2007
Wrigley Field has been around a long time
From YouTube, via the Uni Watch blog, here's six and a half minutes of home movie footage shot at Wrigley Field. It starts off with 1930 Flag Day ceremonies prior to a game against the Boston Braves, including the raising of a 1929 NL championship pennant, and then switches to 1929 World Series action against the Philadelphia A's (either Game 1 or Game 2, both of which were Cubs losses).
Labels: athletics, braves, cubs, youtube
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Losing baseball
Some notes from last night's Cubs-Pirates game, which featured the two worst teams in the league performing a sloppy "After you"/"No, I insist"/"No, no, you first"/"Well, if you insist, I'll muff this bunt" routine to see who would get the privilege of losing:
1) In my shoulder bag was a grocery sack of sage from Stacey's garden for my seatmate, Michelle. The bag inspector at the gate looked at it askance.
BI: "What's that?"
Me: Sage."
BI:"What?"
Me: "Sage. It's from a garden, for my seatmate."
BI: "What?"
Me: "Sage."
BI:"Like you put on food?"
Me:"Yeah. You can smell it."
[BI Smells it. Makes a face.]
BI: "I'm gonna have to ask about this."
Me: [Astonished] "You're kidding. Really. You're not serious."
BI: "I am, too."
She called her manager over, he took one look at it and, presumably deciding that I could neither blow up the stadium with it nor injure anyone by throwing it at them, waved me into the park.
2) During the game, the season ticket holders who sit in my section--those who bothered to attend, that is--had a discussion of whether this is the worst Cubs team we've had to watch. I've been attending games at Wrigley Field since 1993, and I've had season tickets since 1999, and I, like all the rest, weighed in with a resounding "Yes." You could argue that the 1997 team was worse, but it at least had Sammy Sosa doing his strikeout/homer/strikeout routine. This team didn't even have Derrek Lee for most of the year, and Ryan Theriot's remarkable mustache can only go so far towards making up for such bad baseball.
3) The good thing about the Cubs suffering through their third straight disappointing (and second straight flat-out bad) season is that the fair-weather fans are starting to see the storm clouds. The announced attendance for last night's game was only 32,000 or so, way down from the 40,000+ the Cubs were drawing earlier in the year. But I'd be surprised if the actual attendance was half that. In the center field bleachers the night before, the cameramen had shown a guy stretched out flat, sleeping, and he could have easily reprised his nap in any section of the bleachers last night. Meanwhile, there were only about five beer vendors working the whole of the upper deck, and nary a Super Ropes guy in sight.
It's kinda nice to be able to stretch out a little again. It reminds me of the wonderful days of 1997, pre-Kerry Wood and that first wild card run, when you could decide to go to the game day of, with three or four friends, buy upper deck tickets and sit pretty much anywhere.
So for all you folks who love Wrigley Field but have given up on attending in recent years--I'm looking at you, Bob and Luke--this is your warning: the glory days may soon be back. Start practicing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
4) Then, in the 8th of what had been a forgettable ballgame, Matt Capps hung a curve to Derrek Lee, who immediately reminded him of why his pitching coach had advised against such behavior. It was a beautiful night in a beautiful ballpark, and that moment was a good reminder of why we were there.
1) In my shoulder bag was a grocery sack of sage from Stacey's garden for my seatmate, Michelle. The bag inspector at the gate looked at it askance.
BI: "What's that?"
Me: Sage."
BI:"What?"
Me: "Sage. It's from a garden, for my seatmate."
BI: "What?"
Me: "Sage."
BI:"Like you put on food?"
Me:"Yeah. You can smell it."
[BI Smells it. Makes a face.]
BI: "I'm gonna have to ask about this."
Me: [Astonished] "You're kidding. Really. You're not serious."
BI: "I am, too."
She called her manager over, he took one look at it and, presumably deciding that I could neither blow up the stadium with it nor injure anyone by throwing it at them, waved me into the park.
2) During the game, the season ticket holders who sit in my section--those who bothered to attend, that is--had a discussion of whether this is the worst Cubs team we've had to watch. I've been attending games at Wrigley Field since 1993, and I've had season tickets since 1999, and I, like all the rest, weighed in with a resounding "Yes." You could argue that the 1997 team was worse, but it at least had Sammy Sosa doing his strikeout/homer/strikeout routine. This team didn't even have Derrek Lee for most of the year, and Ryan Theriot's remarkable mustache can only go so far towards making up for such bad baseball.
3) The good thing about the Cubs suffering through their third straight disappointing (and second straight flat-out bad) season is that the fair-weather fans are starting to see the storm clouds. The announced attendance for last night's game was only 32,000 or so, way down from the 40,000+ the Cubs were drawing earlier in the year. But I'd be surprised if the actual attendance was half that. In the center field bleachers the night before, the cameramen had shown a guy stretched out flat, sleeping, and he could have easily reprised his nap in any section of the bleachers last night. Meanwhile, there were only about five beer vendors working the whole of the upper deck, and nary a Super Ropes guy in sight.
It's kinda nice to be able to stretch out a little again. It reminds me of the wonderful days of 1997, pre-Kerry Wood and that first wild card run, when you could decide to go to the game day of, with three or four friends, buy upper deck tickets and sit pretty much anywhere.
So for all you folks who love Wrigley Field but have given up on attending in recent years--I'm looking at you, Bob and Luke--this is your warning: the glory days may soon be back. Start practicing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
4) Then, in the 8th of what had been a forgettable ballgame, Matt Capps hung a curve to Derrek Lee, who immediately reminded him of why his pitching coach had advised against such behavior. It was a beautiful night in a beautiful ballpark, and that moment was a good reminder of why we were there.
Labels: cubs, derrek lee, matt capps, pirates, ryan theriot, security theater, Wrigley Field
Monday, August 28, 2006
Gary Bennett, the gods have chosen to smile on thee
After Gary Bennett's out-of-nowhere performance against the Cubs this weekend (.700/.750/.833, with a homer and a game-winning single Saturday and a game-winning grand slam Sunday night), I hope each player on the Cardinals roster--including the guys on the DL--bought him a stiff drink last night.
And then I hope he staggered around the bar, drunk as a lord, shouting, "Don't you mess with me--I'm freaking Mike Piazza!"
And then I hope he staggered around the bar, drunk as a lord, shouting, "Don't you mess with me--I'm freaking Mike Piazza!"
Labels: Cardinals, cubs, gary bennett, mike piazza
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Fun at the old ballpark
Seconds ago, as I was sitting in my kitchen editing a post for my other blog, listening to the Cubs play the Rockies, I heard the following exchange between Pat Hughes, Ron Santo, and a surprise mystery guest:
That's why I listen to the Cubs even when they're 48-67.
Pat Hughes: Colorado has eight runs on twelve hits and one error, though I think the scorer might change that one.
Ron Santo: Yeah, I think he might.
Official Scorer (in background): I'm not gonna change it.
That's why I listen to the Cubs even when they're 48-67.
Labels: cubs, pat hughes, radio, rockies, ron santo
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Notes on a gray Saturday
1) On the broadcast of today's Cubs/Padres game:
Pat Hughes: Be careful with this guy, Ron: he spells his name Cla--no "y," but it's pronounced "Clay." I thought it was a mistake. It disturbed me. I couldn't sleep last night. These things are important.
Ron Santo: You're bothered a lot of the time, aren't you?
Pat Hughes: Can't you tell?
2) Cardnilly heard two people in the stands at Busch Stadium talking about Juan Encarnacion:
3) Operation Shutdown may be over, unless Derek Bell can talk the judicial system into letting him continue his workless protest.
4) Pedro has a green thumb. Now if only he'd grow out his hair again, I could wholeheartedly root for him.
5) Congratulations to Jim, who made the 600th post to this blog earlier in the week.
Pat Hughes: Be careful with this guy, Ron: he spells his name Cla--no "y," but it's pronounced "Clay." I thought it was a mistake. It disturbed me. I couldn't sleep last night. These things are important.
Ron Santo: You're bothered a lot of the time, aren't you?
Pat Hughes: Can't you tell?
2) Cardnilly heard two people in the stands at Busch Stadium talking about Juan Encarnacion:
Inmate-looking guy [re-emerging from the concourse]: Say, who hit that last home run?
Mildly frightened bystander: Oh, one of the new guys. I forget his name…
ILG: Was it Incarceration?
MFB: Yep. That was the guy.
3) Operation Shutdown may be over, unless Derek Bell can talk the judicial system into letting him continue his workless protest.
4) Pedro has a green thumb. Now if only he'd grow out his hair again, I could wholeheartedly root for him.
5) Congratulations to Jim, who made the 600th post to this blog earlier in the week.
Labels: cubs, juan incarnacion, operation shutdown, padres, pat hughes, pedro martinez, ron santo
Thursday, April 20, 2006
My first game of 2006
Yes, Dodger Stadium has new seats this season, in lovely pastel colors which really do look like they're from 1962. They also renumbered the seats, so that instead of having aisle numbers, with seats starting at "1" on one side and "101" on the other side, the reserved level now has section numbers like a normal stadium. (Things were even weirder on the field and loge levels, with one row letter covering two rows, one with seat numbers increasing and the other with seat numbers decreasing -- presumably, that situation has been dealt with as well.)
Yes, quite a few Chicagoites will show up at Dodger Stadium when the Cubs are in town, wearing the world's cutest baseball cap...
Someone near us had a radio, so I know that Vin Scully described 6-foot-7 Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall as "a tall drink of water"...
This game had something for everyone, from bone-jarring collisions to wildly errant throws. Best of all, though, is the fact that the Dodger Stadium music selection committee has provided the world with a new, particularly appropriate song to play for bases on balls: Tegan and Sara's "Walking with a Ghost," in the form of the White Stripes' cover version. Why is it particularly appropriate? Because walks haunt.
Labels: cubs, dodger stadium, dodgers, game report, music, walks haunt
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Do not adjust your set
Levi was at the Cardinals-Cubs game today. I watched the Comcast SportsNet broadcast from home.
Levi had to watch the Cardinals not score any runs in the top of the 9th inning and lose 3-2, but I saw something else instead of the last two outs...
I remember being impressed back in 1989 that ABC had a slide specifically reading "World Series" at the ready to throw up on screen when they lost their feed from San Francisco. As you can see, Comcast SportsNet is not as classy as ABC. (And no wonder they're experiencing technical difficulties -- their cnntrol room looks blurry and smeared.)
Levi had to watch the Cardinals not score any runs in the top of the 9th inning and lose 3-2, but I saw something else instead of the last two outs...
I remember being impressed back in 1989 that ABC had a slide specifically reading "World Series" at the ready to throw up on screen when they lost their feed from San Francisco. As you can see, Comcast SportsNet is not as classy as ABC. (And no wonder they're experiencing technical difficulties -- their cnntrol room looks blurry and smeared.)
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Jacque!
Cardinals fans have spent the past couple of weeks worrying that the Cardinals might, as rumor had it, sign Jacque Jones from the Twins. Jacque Jones is not a very good baseball player, and he was destined to be overpaid.
So the Cubs signed him! For three years! For $16 million!
Dan Szymborski of Baseballprimer.com has a hilarious analysis of the signing at their Transaction Oracle. I can't figure out how to permalink to the post, so you should go here, then scroll down just a bit until you find the Jones signing. It's worth it.
So the Cubs signed him! For three years! For $16 million!
Dan Szymborski of Baseballprimer.com has a hilarious analysis of the signing at their Transaction Oracle. I can't figure out how to permalink to the post, so you should go here, then scroll down just a bit until you find the Jones signing. It's worth it.
Labels: Cardinals, cubs, jacque jones, twins
Thursday, October 27, 2005
In the news
In addition to today's front pages, newseum.org has newspaper front pages from certain historic dates since they've been collecting front pages.
Here are the newspapers in the U.S. that ran a front-page news photo relating to the White Sox's win today, October 27, 2005 (as opposed to a photo used in a referral box at the top of the page or down the side): Arizona Daily Star (Tucson); Los Angeles Times; The Record (Stockton, CA); San Diego Union-Tribune; Ventura County Star; Denver Post; Rocky Mountain News; Hartford Courant; The Ledger (Lakeland, FL); Augusta Chronicle (Georgia); Chicago Sun-Times; Chicago Tribune; Daily Herald (Chicago); Peoria Journal-Star; Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL); Rockford Register-Star; The Times (Munster, IN); Quad City Times (Davenport, IA); St. Louis Post-Dispatch (with the special added bonus of Weatherbird wearing a Sox shirt); Las Vegas Review-Journal; The Press (Atlantic City, NJ); New York Times; Albany Times-Union; Columbus Dispatch (Ohio); The Morning Call (Allentown, PA); Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Jackson Sun (Tennessee); Abilene Reporter-News; Austin American-Statesman; Corpus Christi Caller-Times; Dallas Morning News; Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Houston Chronicle; Rumbo (various Texas cities); San Antonio Express-News; San Angelo Standard-Times; Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City); USA Today; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI).
Now, here's the list for the Red Sox from Thursday, October 28, 2004: Anniston Star (Alabama); Anchorage Daily News; Daily News (Los Angeles); Los Angeles Times; Oakland Tribune; Record Searchlight (Redding, CA); Sacramento Bee; San Diego Union-Tribune; San Francisco Chronicle; Fresno Bee; The Press-Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA); Ventura County Star; Rocky Mountain News; The Gazette (Colorado Springs); The Day (New London, CT); Hartford Courant; Norwich Bulletin (Connecticut); Record-Journal (Meriden, CT); Republican-American (Waterbury, CT); Washington Post; Charlotte Sun (Florida); The Ledger (Lakeland, FL); Miami Herald; The News-Press (Ft. Myers, FL); El Nuevo Herald (Miami); Palm Beach Post; St. Petersburg Times; Bradenton Herald (Florida); Augusta Chronicle (Georgia); Honolulu Advertiser; Idaho Statesman (Boise); Chicago Sun-Times; Chicago Tribune; Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL); Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA); Portland Press-Herald (Maine); Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME); The Sun (Baltimore, MD); Boston Globe; The Enterprise (Brockton, MA); The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA); The Sun (Lowell, MA); Kalamazoo Gazette; Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN); Springfield News-Leader (Missouri); St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Las Vegas Review-Journal; Reno Gazette-Journal; Concord Monitor (New Hampshire); The Telegraph (Nashua, NH); Union Leader (Manchester, NH); The Press (Atlantic City, NJ); The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ); Albuquerque Journal; Buffalo News; Hoy (New York, NY); New York Sun; New York Times; Post-Standard (Syracuse); Poughkeepsie Journal; Times Herald-Record (Middletown, NY); Albany Times-Union; Charlotte Observer; News & Observer (Raleigh, NC); News & Record (Greensboro, NC); Winston-Salem Journal; Cincinnati Enquirer; Columbus Dispatch (Ohio); Dayton Daily News; Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH); Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK); Beaver County Times (Pennsylvania); Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA); Philadelphia Inquirer; Morning Call (Allentown, PA); Providence Journal; Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN); Abilene Reporter-News; Al Día (Dallas, TX); Amarillo Globe-News; Austin American-Statesman; Beaumont Enterprise; Dallas Morning News; Fort Worth Star-Telegram; San Antonio Express-News; The Monitor (McAllen, TX); Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX); Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, UT); Salt Lake Tribune; Rutland Herald (Vermont); Culpeper Star-Exponent (Virginia); Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA); News Leader (Staunton, VA); Richmond Times-Dispatch; USA Today; Olympian (Olympia, WA); Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA); Columbian (Vancouver, WA); Charleston Gazette (West Virginia); Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI).
I had a point, but after typing all those in, I forget exactly what it was. Something about the Red Sox list being longer and it being evidence of what a well-publicized "curse" can do for you. Oh, and I also want to note that both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times used the same front-page headline for the White Sox victory ("Believe It!") -- so now that they've both used that, what do they do when the Cubs win? Actually, there may not be such a thing as newspapers by the time the Cubs win.
Here are the newspapers in the U.S. that ran a front-page news photo relating to the White Sox's win today, October 27, 2005 (as opposed to a photo used in a referral box at the top of the page or down the side): Arizona Daily Star (Tucson); Los Angeles Times; The Record (Stockton, CA); San Diego Union-Tribune; Ventura County Star; Denver Post; Rocky Mountain News; Hartford Courant; The Ledger (Lakeland, FL); Augusta Chronicle (Georgia); Chicago Sun-Times; Chicago Tribune; Daily Herald (Chicago); Peoria Journal-Star; Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL); Rockford Register-Star; The Times (Munster, IN); Quad City Times (Davenport, IA); St. Louis Post-Dispatch (with the special added bonus of Weatherbird wearing a Sox shirt); Las Vegas Review-Journal; The Press (Atlantic City, NJ); New York Times; Albany Times-Union; Columbus Dispatch (Ohio); The Morning Call (Allentown, PA); Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Jackson Sun (Tennessee); Abilene Reporter-News; Austin American-Statesman; Corpus Christi Caller-Times; Dallas Morning News; Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Houston Chronicle; Rumbo (various Texas cities); San Antonio Express-News; San Angelo Standard-Times; Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City); USA Today; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI).
Now, here's the list for the Red Sox from Thursday, October 28, 2004: Anniston Star (Alabama); Anchorage Daily News; Daily News (Los Angeles); Los Angeles Times; Oakland Tribune; Record Searchlight (Redding, CA); Sacramento Bee; San Diego Union-Tribune; San Francisco Chronicle; Fresno Bee; The Press-Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA); Ventura County Star; Rocky Mountain News; The Gazette (Colorado Springs); The Day (New London, CT); Hartford Courant; Norwich Bulletin (Connecticut); Record-Journal (Meriden, CT); Republican-American (Waterbury, CT); Washington Post; Charlotte Sun (Florida); The Ledger (Lakeland, FL); Miami Herald; The News-Press (Ft. Myers, FL); El Nuevo Herald (Miami); Palm Beach Post; St. Petersburg Times; Bradenton Herald (Florida); Augusta Chronicle (Georgia); Honolulu Advertiser; Idaho Statesman (Boise); Chicago Sun-Times; Chicago Tribune; Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL); Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA); Portland Press-Herald (Maine); Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME); The Sun (Baltimore, MD); Boston Globe; The Enterprise (Brockton, MA); The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA); The Sun (Lowell, MA); Kalamazoo Gazette; Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN); Springfield News-Leader (Missouri); St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Las Vegas Review-Journal; Reno Gazette-Journal; Concord Monitor (New Hampshire); The Telegraph (Nashua, NH); Union Leader (Manchester, NH); The Press (Atlantic City, NJ); The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ); Albuquerque Journal; Buffalo News; Hoy (New York, NY); New York Sun; New York Times; Post-Standard (Syracuse); Poughkeepsie Journal; Times Herald-Record (Middletown, NY); Albany Times-Union; Charlotte Observer; News & Observer (Raleigh, NC); News & Record (Greensboro, NC); Winston-Salem Journal; Cincinnati Enquirer; Columbus Dispatch (Ohio); Dayton Daily News; Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH); Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK); Beaver County Times (Pennsylvania); Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA); Philadelphia Inquirer; Morning Call (Allentown, PA); Providence Journal; Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN); Abilene Reporter-News; Al Día (Dallas, TX); Amarillo Globe-News; Austin American-Statesman; Beaumont Enterprise; Dallas Morning News; Fort Worth Star-Telegram; San Antonio Express-News; The Monitor (McAllen, TX); Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX); Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, UT); Salt Lake Tribune; Rutland Herald (Vermont); Culpeper Star-Exponent (Virginia); Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA); News Leader (Staunton, VA); Richmond Times-Dispatch; USA Today; Olympian (Olympia, WA); Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA); Columbian (Vancouver, WA); Charleston Gazette (West Virginia); Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI).
I had a point, but after typing all those in, I forget exactly what it was. Something about the Red Sox list being longer and it being evidence of what a well-publicized "curse" can do for you. Oh, and I also want to note that both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times used the same front-page headline for the White Sox victory ("Believe It!") -- so now that they've both used that, what do they do when the Cubs win? Actually, there may not be such a thing as newspapers by the time the Cubs win.
Labels: cubs, red sox, white sox
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Good thing the Cubs didn't make the playoffs
Nomar Garciaparra has had plenty of time to hang around at home just in case someone falls into Boston Harbor.
Labels: boston, cubs, nomar garciaparra
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Holy cow!
Actual quote from an e-mail from my father: "Better you should have never been born, than to post something good about
Harry Caray." Obviously, I can't resist now. Bill James on Harry Caray, from the 1985 Baseball Abstract:
Dad, you'll be pleased to know that Bill James lost me somewhere around "Vince Scully." Surprised he didn't also refer to "Melvin Allen." Also, it seems Milo Hamilton must have run over his dog or something.
Another quibble is that broadcasters don't go into the Hall of Fame per se, they just win the Ford Frick Award. Harry Caray won in 1989, and despite Bill James's best efforts, Milo Hamilton won in 1992.
Harry Caray." Obviously, I can't resist now. Bill James on Harry Caray, from the 1985 Baseball Abstract:
Cable television has arrived to the distant Balkan outland that I call home, and I have been watching Harry Caray whenever I get the time. It's the first significant exposure to Harry that I've had in fifteen years, and I realize with a sense of shock how much of my own attitude about the game and about my profession, which I thought I had found by myself, I may in fact have picked up from hundreds of hours of listening to Harry Caray as a child.
Or perhaps it is a false pride, but I love Harry Caray. You have to understand what Harry Caray was to the Midwest in my childhood. In the years when baseball stopped at the Mississippi, KMOX radio built a network of stations across the midwest and into the Far West that brought major league baseball into every little urb across the landscape. Harry's remarkable talents and enthusiasm were the spearhead of their efforts, and forged a link between the Cardinals and the midwest that remains to this day; even now, some of my neighbors are Cardinal fans.
This effect covers a huge area and encompasses millions of people, many times as many people as live in New York. A Harry Caray-for-the-Hall-of-Fame debate is in progress. To us, to hear New Yorkers or Californians suggest that Harry Caray might not be worthy of the honors given to Mel Allen or Vince Scully is a) almost comically ignorant, sort of like hearing a midwesterner suggest that the Statue of Liberty was never of any real national significance and should be turned into scrap metal, and b) personally offensive. That Harry should have to wait in line behind these wonderful men but comparatively insignificant figures is, beyond any question, an egregious example of the regional bias of the nation's media.
But besides that, the man is really good. His unflagging enthusiasm, his love of the game, and his intense focus and involvement in every detail of the contest make every inning enjoyable, no matter what the score or the pace of the game. His humor, his affection for language and his vibrant images are the tools of a craftsman; only Garagiola, his one-time protégé, can match him in this way. He is criticized for not being objective, which is preposterous; he is the most objective baseball announcer I've ever witnessed. He is criticized for being "critical" of the players, when in fact Harry will bend over backwards to avoid saying something negative about a player or a manager. But Harry also knows that he does the fans no service when he closes his eyes and pretends not to see things. A player misses the cut-off man, Harry says that he missed the cut-off man, the player complains to the press, and some sweetlicking journalist, trying to ingratiate himself to a potential source, rips Harry for being critical of the player.
Harry is involved in another controversy now over the firing of Milo Hamilton, onetime heir apparent to Jack Brickhouse. Hamilton as a broadcaster is a model of professionalism, fluency, and deportment; he is, in short, as interesting as the weather channel, to which I would frequently dial while he was on. Milo's skills would serve him well as a lawyer, an executive, or a broker. He broadcasts baseball games in a tone that would be more appropriate for a man reviewing a loan application. He projects no sense at all that he is enjoying the game or that we ought to be, and I frankly find it difficult to believe that the writers who ripped the Cubs for firing Hamilton actually watch the broadcasts. Is Harry to be faulted because the fans love him and find Hamilton a dry substitute?
People confuse "objectivity" with "neutralism." If you look up "neutral" in the dictionary it says "of no particular kind, color, characteristics, etc.; indefinite. Gray; without hue; of zero chromel; achromatic. Neuter." That pretty well describes Milo Hamilton. To Harry Caray, the greatest sports broadcaster who ever lived. This Bud's for you.
Dad, you'll be pleased to know that Bill James lost me somewhere around "Vince Scully." Surprised he didn't also refer to "Melvin Allen." Also, it seems Milo Hamilton must have run over his dog or something.
Another quibble is that broadcasters don't go into the Hall of Fame per se, they just win the Ford Frick Award. Harry Caray won in 1989, and despite Bill James's best efforts, Milo Hamilton won in 1992.
Labels: bill james, Cardinals, cubs, harry caray, jack brickhouse, mel allen, milo hamilton, radio, vin scully
