Monday, September 22, 2008
The Yankees as a metaphor for society at large
Today's post from Uni Watch, ostensibly about the last game at Yankee Stadium, makes some piquant points about the Yankees and how their current status is related to other things that are going on in this country, and the world. (Link almost sent straight to Levi, since I have a feeling he'll enjoy it, but I figured I might as well post it here.)
Monday, September 15, 2008
After a hiatus, another Rays awesomeness watch
During their football games yesterday, Fox ran "lower third" promos for the upcoming baseball playoffs, naming the teams expected to be participating. And it appears that even they have finally acknowledged the presence of the Rays, even if they did list them last.
Surprisingly, the Yankees weren't mentioned in the promo. I assume this is because Fox hasn't yet been successful at signing up Yankees players to host Fox camera crews in their homes to watch them watch the playoffs, thus giving Fox something else to cut to between (sometimes during) pitches.
Surprisingly, the Yankees weren't mentioned in the promo. I assume this is because Fox hasn't yet been successful at signing up Yankees players to host Fox camera crews in their homes to watch them watch the playoffs, thus giving Fox something else to cut to between (sometimes during) pitches.
Labels: devil rays, tv, yankees
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Goodbye!
Here's the cover of the May 26 issue of Sports Illustrated...
At first, I thought I was looking at some major mistakes in the artwork, but then I realized, no, the action depicted is taking place in Bizarro World. (That was a little less clear on my subscription copy, which has the address label printed over the bizarro advertising in the lower right corner.)
At first, I thought I was looking at some major mistakes in the artwork, but then I realized, no, the action depicted is taking place in Bizarro World. (That was a little less clear on my subscription copy, which has the address label printed over the bizarro advertising in the lower right corner.)
Labels: art, devil rays, sports illustrated, yankees
Sunday, May 18, 2008
The Searchers
I noticed today that around a dozen people had been led to my other blog this weekend by searching for "Jason Giambi thong." So, steeling myself against the hideous assortment of possible discoveries that flitted through my clearly too-active mind, I plugged those terms into {a popular search engine that may or may not employ Jim} and discovered . . . this.
Apparently Giambi is the owner of a gold lame thong, which he dons when he feels the need for some supernatural help in breaking a slump. But that's not the worst of it: he also has on occasion lent this thong to teammates who felt a similar need! Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon have both admitted to wearing it. Jeter told the Daily News,
I'll leave you with a hypothetical question for those Yankee fans out there: is winning worth this? Will you ever be able to sleep again, having pictured Jason Giambi in a gold thong? Would a quiet last-place finish really be so bad?
Apparently Giambi is the owner of a gold lame thong, which he dons when he feels the need for some supernatural help in breaking a slump. But that's not the worst of it: he also has on occasion lent this thong to teammates who felt a similar need! Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon have both admitted to wearing it. Jeter told the Daily News,
"I had it over my shorts and stuff. I was 0-for-32 and I hit a homer on the first pitch. That's the only time I've ever worn it."{Editorial note: wouldn't you have expected "and stuff" to be in brackets?}
I'll leave you with a hypothetical question for those Yankee fans out there: is winning worth this? Will you ever be able to sleep again, having pictured Jason Giambi in a gold thong? Would a quiet last-place finish really be so bad?
Labels: jason giambi, yankees
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Hooray for the '70s
As seen on Uni Watch, this particular item is apparently a Yankee Stadium food vendor shirt from the 1970s. Quite a difference from what was being worn on the field.
Edited later to add: Further evidence turned up that these are actually from the late 1960s.
Edited later to add: Further evidence turned up that these are actually from the late 1960s.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The olden days
Phil Rizzuto's death today comes just a couple of days after I (finally) listened to a Christmas present from my father: a 2-CD set containing the radio broadcast of the Yankees and Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1949 World Series (the deciding game). At one point during the game, Mel Allen points out that if you saw Scooter walking with the rest of the team, because of his small size, you might think he was the batboy.
It was a game with a lot of action (16 total runs), but I found the radio broadcast more interesting for things other than the game itself. Red Barber and Mel Allen were the announcers, with each responsible for the team they announced for during the regular season -- Mel was at the mike by himself in the half-innings when the Yankees were batting, with Red while the Dodgers were up. Occasionally, they would talk to each other between innings, mostly to do live commercials for Gillette (all of the commercials were for Gillette -- this was a "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" broadcast).
At one point, Red Barber mentions that Jerry Coleman was moving Jackie Robinson's glove out of the way -- fielders used to leave their gloves at their position. And Mel Allen refers to the fact that the American League umpires were wearing their chest protectors on the outside, and the National League umpires were wearing them on the inside.
There's also a mention that this Sunday game started an hour late (2:00 instead of 1:00) due to "New York state law" and couldn't go past 7:00 for the same reason. Because of all the action, the game goes fairly long, and the umpires confer with commissioner Happy Chandler in the stands, with the results being that the lights are turned on for the first time during a World Series game.
And for a broadcasting geek like me -- I didn't realize the phrase "let's pause 10 seconds for station identification" was that old, but there it was, followed by a station identification for "WOR and WOR-FM, New York" and a suggestion to watch the game on WOR-TV, Channel 9. Yes, I did know WOR-FM and WOR-TV were that old.
It was a game with a lot of action (16 total runs), but I found the radio broadcast more interesting for things other than the game itself. Red Barber and Mel Allen were the announcers, with each responsible for the team they announced for during the regular season -- Mel was at the mike by himself in the half-innings when the Yankees were batting, with Red while the Dodgers were up. Occasionally, they would talk to each other between innings, mostly to do live commercials for Gillette (all of the commercials were for Gillette -- this was a "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" broadcast).
At one point, Red Barber mentions that Jerry Coleman was moving Jackie Robinson's glove out of the way -- fielders used to leave their gloves at their position. And Mel Allen refers to the fact that the American League umpires were wearing their chest protectors on the outside, and the National League umpires were wearing them on the inside.
There's also a mention that this Sunday game started an hour late (2:00 instead of 1:00) due to "New York state law" and couldn't go past 7:00 for the same reason. Because of all the action, the game goes fairly long, and the umpires confer with commissioner Happy Chandler in the stands, with the results being that the lights are turned on for the first time during a World Series game.
And for a broadcasting geek like me -- I didn't realize the phrase "let's pause 10 seconds for station identification" was that old, but there it was, followed by a station identification for "WOR and WOR-FM, New York" and a suggestion to watch the game on WOR-TV, Channel 9. Yes, I did know WOR-FM and WOR-TV were that old.
Labels: dodgers, game report, mel allen, phil rizzuto, red barber, yankees
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Sorry, Devil Rays
This site, called Cool Standings, shows the major league baseball standings -- including expected wins, expected losses, and their calculation of each team's chances to win the division, win the wild card, and make it to the playoffs, period. The Red Sox currently have a 96.5% chance of making the playoffs; the Padres are tops in the NL, with a 90.9% chance.
If you click on each team's name, you get more stats, including a graph showing how their playoff chances have risen and fallen during the season. The one for the Yankees is particularly recommended.
If you click on each team's name, you get more stats, including a graph showing how their playoff chances have risen and fallen during the season. The one for the Yankees is particularly recommended.
Labels: padres, red sox, statistics, yankees
Monday, April 02, 2007
Opening Day 2007: Hour 4
1:00 -- Boston Red Sox at Kansas City Royals (ESPN and NESN)
Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies (FSN Rocky Mountain)
1:01 -- At last, a game is over: Marlins 9, Nationals 2.
1:05 -- Mariano Rivera comes on for the Yankees. The Devil Rays were keeping it close for a while, but the Yankees now lead by 4.
1:11 -- Hey, the Diamondbacks really did switch to red uniforms. If their fellow expansion team were to follow suit, though, they'd be accused of copying the Red Sox, their division mates.
1:14 -- But they lost 9-5 to the Yankees, so maybe they should think about switching to red.
1:17 -- Gary Sheffield is still swinging his bat wildly in an amusing manner as he waits for pitches.
1:18 -- Didn't help. He struck out.
1:22 -- The Dodgers-Brewers game must have been a quick affair, since the postgame show is already airing.
1:29 -- Ken Griffey Sr., in the FSN Ohio booth, claims he grounded his son a few times while they were playing together for the Mariners.
1:45 -- I check my e-mail. Nothing much seems to be happening in the world except for Opening Day.
1:52 -- It's hard to come back from 9 runs down in the bottom of the 9th, and I'll be surprised if the White Sox do it.
1:54 -- There's another Molina?!
1:58 -- Turns out I'm not surprised, although the Sox did manage to score 2.
Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies (FSN Rocky Mountain)
1:01 -- At last, a game is over: Marlins 9, Nationals 2.
1:05 -- Mariano Rivera comes on for the Yankees. The Devil Rays were keeping it close for a while, but the Yankees now lead by 4.
1:11 -- Hey, the Diamondbacks really did switch to red uniforms. If their fellow expansion team were to follow suit, though, they'd be accused of copying the Red Sox, their division mates.
1:14 -- But they lost 9-5 to the Yankees, so maybe they should think about switching to red.
1:17 -- Gary Sheffield is still swinging his bat wildly in an amusing manner as he waits for pitches.
1:18 -- Didn't help. He struck out.
1:22 -- The Dodgers-Brewers game must have been a quick affair, since the postgame show is already airing.
1:29 -- Ken Griffey Sr., in the FSN Ohio booth, claims he grounded his son a few times while they were playing together for the Mariners.
1:45 -- I check my e-mail. Nothing much seems to be happening in the world except for Opening Day.
1:52 -- It's hard to come back from 9 runs down in the bottom of the 9th, and I'll be surprised if the White Sox do it.
1:54 -- There's another Molina?!
1:58 -- Turns out I'm not surprised, although the Sox did manage to score 2.
Labels: devil rays, diamondbacks, gary sheffield, gustavo molina, ken griffey sr., mariano rivera, red sox, rockies, royals, white sox, yankees
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
Opening Day 2007: Hour 1
When Opening Day came around a year ago, I was unemployed with no immediate prospects. Within a month, I had been hired for a full-time temp job. And by the time the World Series rolled around, I was hired as an actual employee.
So it's clear that baseball is a force for good. Let's see what it can do for me this year.
10:00 -- Tampa Bay Devil Rays at New York Yankees (ESPN and YES)
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (TBS)
Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers (FSN Detroit)
Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals (MASN)
Time for everyone's pre-produced "Opening Day" intros.
10:05 -- The Tigers manage to get under way first.
10:06 -- The Blue Jays have the first at-bat of the season -- a walk.
10:08 -- And the Blue Jays steal against Ivan Rodriguez. This season is going great for the Tigers so far.
10:09 -- The Marlins steal third! Looks like this is going to be the Year of the Stolen Base, as the L.A. Times sort of predicted today.
10:11 -- Carl Crawford leads off for the Devil Rays with a hit against the Yankees.
10:12 -- Crawford steals second!
10:15 -- Rocco Baldelli, whose name is on the back of the Devil Rays T-shirt I'm wearing, hits to the warning track. The Yankees announcers say it could have been a home run if the humidity were lower today.
10:19 -- I have to go get my laundry out of the dryer. Meanwhile, things fall apart for the Devil Rays.
10:30 -- The Yankees score two runs, which the YES graphics briefly award to the Devil Rays.
10:40 -- Hey, it's Adrian Fenty, the mayor of Washington, D.C., in the stands at RFK Stadium, being interviewed with a radio mike that's not quite working properly.
10:49 -- The Devil Rays get their first run of 2007. First of many, I'm sure.
10:52 -- Not particularly baseball-related, but I get an automated phone call from the L.A. Times telling me that the "TV Times" section is being discontinued after next week, but I'll still be able to get TV listings online. They don't know I have a TiVo.
So it's clear that baseball is a force for good. Let's see what it can do for me this year.
10:00 -- Tampa Bay Devil Rays at New York Yankees (ESPN and YES)
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (TBS)
Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers (FSN Detroit)
Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals (MASN)
Time for everyone's pre-produced "Opening Day" intros.
10:05 -- The Tigers manage to get under way first.
10:06 -- The Blue Jays have the first at-bat of the season -- a walk.
10:08 -- And the Blue Jays steal against Ivan Rodriguez. This season is going great for the Tigers so far.
10:09 -- The Marlins steal third! Looks like this is going to be the Year of the Stolen Base, as the L.A. Times sort of predicted today.
10:11 -- Carl Crawford leads off for the Devil Rays with a hit against the Yankees.
10:12 -- Crawford steals second!
10:15 -- Rocco Baldelli, whose name is on the back of the Devil Rays T-shirt I'm wearing, hits to the warning track. The Yankees announcers say it could have been a home run if the humidity were lower today.
10:19 -- I have to go get my laundry out of the dryer. Meanwhile, things fall apart for the Devil Rays.
10:30 -- The Yankees score two runs, which the YES graphics briefly award to the Devil Rays.
10:40 -- Hey, it's Adrian Fenty, the mayor of Washington, D.C., in the stands at RFK Stadium, being interviewed with a radio mike that's not quite working properly.
10:49 -- The Devil Rays get their first run of 2007. First of many, I'm sure.
10:52 -- Not particularly baseball-related, but I get an automated phone call from the L.A. Times telling me that the "TV Times" section is being discontinued after next week, but I'll still be able to get TV listings online. They don't know I have a TiVo.
Labels: blue jays, braves, carl crawford, devil rays, ivan rodriguez, marlins, nationals, phillies, rocco baldelli, tigers, yankees
Thursday, March 01, 2007
It has begun
A co-worker reports that she just got a text message from her mother, who is at Legends Field for a Yankees spring training game.
Labels: spring training, technology, yankees
Friday, January 19, 2007
Recommended baseball reading
Jury duty is good for getting some reading in. For the past two days while I was in the main Los Angeles criminal courts building, I read Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders
. These are blunders not by players, but by coaches, managers, general managers, and owners. It starts with the White Sox getting rid of first baseman Jack Fournier in 1917 in favor of future "Black Sox" ringleader Chick Gandil, and ends with Joe Torre not putting Mariano Riviera into Game 4 of the 2003 World Series.
Yes, the penultimate chapter is about a certain sequence of events that occurred just six days earlier, in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, and the Devil Rays get an entire chapter (the idea being that the franchise got off on the wrong foot when they immediately traded away Bobby Abreu after taking him with their first expansion draft pick).
. These are blunders not by players, but by coaches, managers, general managers, and owners. It starts with the White Sox getting rid of first baseman Jack Fournier in 1917 in favor of future "Black Sox" ringleader Chick Gandil, and ends with Joe Torre not putting Mariano Riviera into Game 4 of the 2003 World Series.Yes, the penultimate chapter is about a certain sequence of events that occurred just six days earlier, in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, and the Devil Rays get an entire chapter (the idea being that the franchise got off on the wrong foot when they immediately traded away Bobby Abreu after taking him with their first expansion draft pick).
Labels: baseball books, devil rays, red sox, white sox, yankees
Monday, October 23, 2006
Bumper that ran before "Robot Chicken" last night
Hey, New York City
Wasn't this weekend supposed to be
the start of the big Subway Series?
Guess that's not happening.
Unless there's a subway between St. Louis and Detroit.
[adult swim]
Wasn't this weekend supposed to be
the start of the big Subway Series?
Guess that's not happening.
Unless there's a subway between St. Louis and Detroit.
[adult swim]
Labels: Cardinals, Mets, tigers, tv, yankees
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
I am a horrible person
My first thought: "Oh, great, now for the rest of the playoffs all we're going to hear is 'Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees.'" (As opposed to what it would have been, "Yankees, Yankees, teams that are actually in the playoffs, Yankees.")
Labels: corey lidle, yankees
Monday, October 09, 2006
The Giambi Apocalypse and the Elven Skipper
Hang around me and Stacey long enough, and you're sure to hear us speculating about the dangers of the coming zombie apocalypse. We'll enter a building and note whether the doors open in (bad) or out (good); we'll speculate on whether a bow is a good anti-zombie weapon (no, because eventually you're going to have to go get the arrows); we'll weigh the merits of having a zombie apocalypse supply cache (shotgun, ammo, canned brains) versus having a bird flu apocalypse supply cache (water, hand crank radio, forty pounds of peanut butter).
Well, after paying close attention to Friday night's Yankees-Tigers game, we're beginning to wonder whether we were focused on the wrong danger. The coming disaster isn't a zombie apocalypse . . . it's a Giambi apocalypse.
Several times during the game, Fox's X-treme Close-up Camera caught Derek Jeter lifting his cap off his large head and adjusting it. The next shot, inevitably, would be of Zombie Giambi, eyes rolling and mouth wide, in near-ecstasy at the thought of Jeter's delectable brains.
So in anticipation of the Giambi Apocalypse, what should we put in our supply cache? After this weekend, I know two things: Kenny Rogers and, just to be safe, this guy.
Well, after paying close attention to Friday night's Yankees-Tigers game, we're beginning to wonder whether we were focused on the wrong danger. The coming disaster isn't a zombie apocalypse . . . it's a Giambi apocalypse.
Several times during the game, Fox's X-treme Close-up Camera caught Derek Jeter lifting his cap off his large head and adjusting it. The next shot, inevitably, would be of Zombie Giambi, eyes rolling and mouth wide, in near-ecstasy at the thought of Jeter's delectable brains.
So in anticipation of the Giambi Apocalypse, what should we put in our supply cache? After this weekend, I know two things: Kenny Rogers and, just to be safe, this guy.
Labels: derek jeter, jason giambi, kenny rogers, tony la russa, yankees, zombies
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
These "Peanuts" reruns should come with annotations
This strip originally ran in 1959. That's two years before the Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins, so the reference is to the Minneapolis Millers of the minor-league American Association.
In 1959, the Yankees finished in third place in the American League, and the Millers finished in first place in the AA (but lost the Junior World Series to the Havana Sugar Kings of the International League). They probably could have taken the Yankees.
Labels: havana sugar kings, minneapolis millers, peanuts, senators, twins, yankees
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Pure good meets pure evil; hair cut, universe destroyed
Well, despite my unemployment, I've been feeling pretty good recently. Hmm, as long as I'm sitting here in front of my computer waiting for "Deal or No Deal" to accumulate on the TiVo, I'll activate iChat. Why, I've got an instant message popping up already! It's from hanger-on Maura. She usually has something interesting to say, often about baseball. I'll just bring the message window to the front, and...OH, MY GOD, NO!
Labels: johnny damon, maura johnston, yankees
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Score that play 6-3, and thus ends 2005
Wow, every time Levi's wife makes a jack-o'-lantern involving a baseball personality, their team with which they're associated wins the World Series! Levi, how does it feel to be married to someone with magic powers? I hope you're more accepting of it than Darrin Stephens!
No, seriously, I'm sure Stacey would be the first to tell you there's nothing otherworldly about her pumpkin carvings. However, consider the following: we started this blog at the beginning of the 2004 baseball season, and since then...
Clearly, the existence of this blog has been a major force for good in the world of baseball. Therefore, I'm considering starting a few more blogs.
Uh, but just for interest's sake, Stacey, whose face do you foresee rendering on a gourd next October?
No, seriously, I'm sure Stacey would be the first to tell you there's nothing otherworldly about her pumpkin carvings. However, consider the following: we started this blog at the beginning of the 2004 baseball season, and since then...
- The World Series was won by a team that hadn't won in 86 years.
- Then the World Series was won by a team that hadn't won in 88 years, after winning the American League pennant for the first time in 46 years.
- Also making a World Series appearance was a team that had never been there before, in 43 years of trying, and their uniforms look a lot better now than they did for many of those 43 years.
- The Yankees have not gone to a World Series.
- The first four "Complete Peanuts" volumes have been released, right on schedule, and they are awesome.
Clearly, the existence of this blog has been a major force for good in the world of baseball. Therefore, I'm considering starting a few more blogs.
- Cure-for-Cancer-Related Program Activities
- Democratic-Party-Related Program Activities
- Origin-of-the-Universe-Related Program Activities
- Jim's-Sex-Life-Related Program Activities
Uh, but just for interest's sake, Stacey, whose face do you foresee rendering on a gourd next October?
Labels: astros, red sox, stacey shintani, white sox, world series, yankees
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Faux News
This just in: Fox has invited the Yankees and Red Sox to play a seven-game series in the consolation bracket. The games will be broadcast in prime time Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the NLCS and the ALCS play-by-play will be delivered via telegraph and local re-enactors. Or, if you prefer, you'll be able to get a radio broadcast by Scooter.
Meanwhile, the NLCS and the ALCS play-by-play will be delivered via telegraph and local re-enactors. Or, if you prefer, you'll be able to get a radio broadcast by Scooter.
Labels: red sox, Scooter, yankees
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Operation Duplicate Chili: a qualified success
Hey, look, I made chili! And there are plenty of things to put on and in it, including Farmer John brand bacon, in honor of the poor Dodgers (their longtime sponsor, one of the few "longtime" things the Dodgers still have)...
The chili would probably taste a little better if Derek Jeter weren't on TV, but that's what Fox gives us...
I call this only a "qualified success" because I've heard no reports from Levi on whether he's eating chili as well, which was the whole point of Operation Duplicate Chili. Levi's been jet-setting all about, going from apple orchards to public libraries in the Pacific Northwest. But since I have plenty of the chili left over -- and most of the makings for a second batch -- it's a safe bet that we'll be eating the same chili some night in October. Actually, not exactly the same, since I bet Levi won't be putting bacon on top of his.
The best part of the game was the tape of Joe Torre interviewing Gene Autry in the Angels' locker room in 1986; that tape's probably been shown before, but I don't remember having seen it.
The chili would probably taste a little better if Derek Jeter weren't on TV, but that's what Fox gives us...
I call this only a "qualified success" because I've heard no reports from Levi on whether he's eating chili as well, which was the whole point of Operation Duplicate Chili. Levi's been jet-setting all about, going from apple orchards to public libraries in the Pacific Northwest. But since I have plenty of the chili left over -- and most of the makings for a second batch -- it's a safe bet that we'll be eating the same chili some night in October. Actually, not exactly the same, since I bet Levi won't be putting bacon on top of his.
The best part of the game was the tape of Joe Torre interviewing Gene Autry in the Angels' locker room in 1986; that tape's probably been shown before, but I don't remember having seen it.
Labels: angels, chili, derek jeter, gene autry, joe torre, tv, yankees
