“I don’t like to be alone, but I do cherish the moments that I am alone with a good book.”
Vin Scully
Dodger Broadcaster
Making Dodger Lemonade
When life gives you lemons make lemonade. The announcement that Frank and Jamie McCourt are separated is lemons for a Dodger team that is struggling to beat the Phillies for the National League Pennant. But other teams have used adversity to build their resolve. The Phillies are wearing the initials HK on there uniforms in memory of Hank Kalas and the Angels wear the initials of Nick Adenhart. So I’m proposing that the Dodgers wear this patch to turn their misfortune into lemonade and help them win the World Series:
Frank and Jamie Separated
What do you think?
Stop Spitting in Baseball
We went to our third baseball game of the year on Saturday night and the Dodgers lost again. So far we are 0 – 3. Other than that it was a perfect evening it didn’t rain and the company, Lillian and Barbara, was very simpatico. Baseball is an anachronism. It moves slowly in a fast paced world and the players spit. I think it can survive the slow but I don’t know if it can survive the HD spitting.
excellent seats
Nurit and I are planning a road trip to Arizona and Colorado in August to finish visiting all of the National League West ballparks. Maybe I’ll make a sign that says “Stop HD Spitting” or “Kobe Doesn’t Spit.” and try to get on TV.
Life is Good!
Spring Training
Nurit and I went to a spring training game and saw the Royals beat the Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park.
We had excellent seats in the shade
It was our first spring training game ever and will definitely improve our performance as fans during the 2008 season.
right behind home plate ($15.00each)
It is an intimate park with excellent food vendors
The only discordant thing was a recruiting race car for the border patrol as we walked in. I wrote about the implications of this type of recruiting on my immigration blog.
“Out to the ballpark”
taken by the new friend the usher
Red Sox
Why is the Boston baseball team called the Red Sox?
Based on their uniforms in the World Series they seem to be the Red Sleeves.
From what I can see none of them are wearing red socks but they are wearing red sleeves.
Go Figure
Drowning in Spit, or the death of Baseball
Baseball players spit. It is part of the ritual. They all used to chew tobacco so spitting was a requirement. Now it is part of the tradition and if it doesn’t change it will kill the game. Spitting when you are 50 or so feet away from someone at a game is not to gross. A player spitting during a radio broadcast of a game is hardly noted.
Spitting on TV is disgusting but not horrible. But spitting in a close up on HDTV is beyond disgusting and enters the realm of “please don’t make me watch.” The pictures are so vivid you can see the color of the spit. We don’t want to see this and people will tune out to avoid seeing it. By the way public spitting is against the law.
Can baseball save itself? Can players change a deep seated behavior? Think about this: basketball players in a much more strenuous sport don’t spit. It is time to stop spitting and save baseball.
Beach Balls in Stadiums, An odd ritual
We were at the UCLA Football game and it was a bright sunny day so some people were knocking beach balls around. It is always an interesting exercise to watch and I asked an innocent question: “Who is it that plans “Oh we’re going to a football game lets stop at the 99 cent store and buy some beach balls.”?” This led to the next question: “How do they get them into the stadium?” To which I innocently answered, “They probably stuff them in their underwear.” It put the idea of hitting a beach ball in a whole new light.
So next time a beach ball come in range think to yourself: “How long ago was this ball hiding in some mans crotch?” And then let someone else hit it.
RFK Stadium
Yesterday we went to a Washington Nationals – Atlanta Braves game at RFK Stadium in Washington DC.
The stadium was built in 1961 and is showing its age.
This is the last year the Nationals will play here and the Redskins left a decade or so ago. So it is a good thing we came now because we would have missed tis 60’s architechural landmark. The Nationals, for those of you not following closely, are the former Montreal Expos. Based on the promise of a new stadium they have been in DC for two years.
The Senators who played here in the 60’s left to become the Houston Expos. The best thing about the game, won by the Braves 3-0, was the Presidents race after the 5th inning. I had my picture taken with them:
Washington won the race.
They sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. What a great country.
Play ball.
Barry Bonds
Sometime during the summer we went to Dodger Stadium and watched the Dodgers lose to the Giants
In this picture Barry Bonds is trying to hit the home run that tied Hank Aaron. He was unsuccessful on that swing and that day. But I got a pretty good picture. He went on to hit the home runs that tied and passed Aaron. It is sad that it is tainted by the baseball drug scandal.
My opinion is that the rules makers have to make clear rules that are measurable and then enforce them. If they don’t and competitive people push a fuzzy line the fault is the rule makers not the competitors. In the case of steroids and baseball I believe the owners of the baseball teams failed to make and enforce clear rules. Barry Bonds is a hero.
A Baseball Idea
In Baseball the ideal line up starts with the players most likely to get on base and advance and then follows with the power hitters. This model for drawing up a line up is almost universal.
What it fails to take into account however is that the opposing pitcher often takes a few batters to settle down and start throwing well. If the manager adjusted his lineup to take this anomaly into account, by batting one of his power hitters first, his team might end up with more hits.
In fact he could only make the adjustment against pitchers who have shown a tendency to give up early hits.
I’m just thinking outside the box. In this case the batters box.