Sunday, November 05, 2006
Next thing you know, I'll start voting for those guys with the (R) next to their name!
A mere week after I actually offered a toast* at a dinner party to Bud Selig, in appreciation of that nasty, nasty man's surprise brokering of an amicable new baseball labor deal, I find that I again have to credit him: surprisingly enough, he made a truthful statement!
"Tony La Russa is not a shrinking violet. He can be very confrontational," says Selig in Murray Chass's column in the New York Times today on Kenny Rogers's dirty, dirty hand.
Should I worry that my world is turning upside down?
*Stacey refused to join the toast.
"Tony La Russa is not a shrinking violet. He can be very confrontational," says Selig in Murray Chass's column in the New York Times today on Kenny Rogers's dirty, dirty hand.
Should I worry that my world is turning upside down?
*Stacey refused to join the toast.
Labels: bud selig, kenny rogers, New York Times, tony la russa
First-guessing
Jim pointed out the other day that Ed Goren, the President of Fox Sports, wrote to the L.A. Times in support of Tim McCarver. Among other things, he said that McCarver is "the best first-guesser in the business."
Now, much as I like to complain about McCarver, I'm sure there were times in this World Series when he displayed his reportedly impressive first-guessing ability. But the one example that Goren chooses to cite lays bare the reasons that Fox's baseball coverage is so utterly terrible.
Here's Goren's example: "Who else would have suggested that Tony La Russa remove right fielder Chris Duncan for defensive purposes in Game 5 before he botched a fly ball into a double?"
Hmm. Who else? Let's see:
1) Steve Stone
2) Me
3) Any Cardinals fan who had seen Duncan play at any time in person on on television, or who had heard a Cardinals game on the radio in which he played. Those people would know that Duncan is by trade a lousy first baseman, but that, given that there's no place for non-MVP first basemen in St. Louis this decade, he's learning to play the outfield. And he's not very good at it.
4) Any fan of one of the teams the Cardinals played against this season after Duncan was called up and began playing regularly.
5) And, oh, yeah: Anyone who had watched Game 5 of the 2006 World Series up to the point when McCarver suggested replacing Duncan . . . and who had therefore seen Duncan's earlier error, an embarrassing botched pop fly.
That Goren didn't realize himself that it might be worth removing Duncan is bad enough.
That he also didn't realize that many, many, many of the people watching might have figured out on their own that removing Duncan might be a good idea is bad enough.
But that he realizes neither of those obvious facts, and then, therefore, thinks that Tim McCarver is a genius because he points out what we've all realized tells you all you need to know about why Fox's coverage of baseball is so bad.
They do not care about, like, enjoy, or understand the game. Nor do they care about or understand those of us who do.
Now, much as I like to complain about McCarver, I'm sure there were times in this World Series when he displayed his reportedly impressive first-guessing ability. But the one example that Goren chooses to cite lays bare the reasons that Fox's baseball coverage is so utterly terrible.
Here's Goren's example: "Who else would have suggested that Tony La Russa remove right fielder Chris Duncan for defensive purposes in Game 5 before he botched a fly ball into a double?"
Hmm. Who else? Let's see:
1) Steve Stone
2) Me
3) Any Cardinals fan who had seen Duncan play at any time in person on on television, or who had heard a Cardinals game on the radio in which he played. Those people would know that Duncan is by trade a lousy first baseman, but that, given that there's no place for non-MVP first basemen in St. Louis this decade, he's learning to play the outfield. And he's not very good at it.
4) Any fan of one of the teams the Cardinals played against this season after Duncan was called up and began playing regularly.
5) And, oh, yeah: Anyone who had watched Game 5 of the 2006 World Series up to the point when McCarver suggested replacing Duncan . . . and who had therefore seen Duncan's earlier error, an embarrassing botched pop fly.
That Goren didn't realize himself that it might be worth removing Duncan is bad enough.
That he also didn't realize that many, many, many of the people watching might have figured out on their own that removing Duncan might be a good idea is bad enough.
But that he realizes neither of those obvious facts, and then, therefore, thinks that Tim McCarver is a genius because he points out what we've all realized tells you all you need to know about why Fox's coverage of baseball is so bad.
They do not care about, like, enjoy, or understand the game. Nor do they care about or understand those of us who do.
Labels: Cardinals, chris duncan, tim mccarver, tony la russa
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
Saturday, May 13, 2006
And another note
From the Post-Dispatch today:
Meanwhile the Cubs, trying to win their second game out of their last fifteen, just gave up a three-run homer to Mikey P., turning a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 deficit.
La Russa, asked how Marquis should approach this start, said, only half in jest, "If it was me, I would approach it like it was the last start of my life and if I lose that game, I'm going to die.
"You don't want to die, do you? Of course, I hit under .200 and nobody ever played me."
Meanwhile the Cubs, trying to win their second game out of their last fifteen, just gave up a three-run homer to Mikey P., turning a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 deficit.
Labels: jason marquis, mike piazza, st. louis post-dispatch, tony la russa
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Ride 'em, Cowboy!
Work has continued being busier than I'd like, so there's just this today, from an article on the Cardinals in Sports Illustrated:
"On Sept. 20, after a 7-4 victory over Milwaukee clinched the NL Central title, La Russa cut himself and his charges loose, romping around the visitors' clubhouse at Miller Park soaked in champagne and beer. When King gave him an impromptu ice bath from a plastic wastebasket, La Russa, easily 75 pounds lighter than King, chased the reliever around the clubhouse, leaping on top of him and riding him piggyback, fists pumping in the air."
Wild weekend of baseball coming up.
Dan: Where was John Mabry throughout all this?
Jim: He was scoring dope for a teammate!
Ha ha! Sorry.
"On Sept. 20, after a 7-4 victory over Milwaukee clinched the NL Central title, La Russa cut himself and his charges loose, romping around the visitors' clubhouse at Miller Park soaked in champagne and beer. When King gave him an impromptu ice bath from a plastic wastebasket, La Russa, easily 75 pounds lighter than King, chased the reliever around the clubhouse, leaping on top of him and riding him piggyback, fists pumping in the air."
Wild weekend of baseball coming up.
Original comments...
Dan: Where was John Mabry throughout all this?
Jim: He was scoring dope for a teammate!
Ha ha! Sorry.
Labels: Cardinals, ray king, sports illustrated, tony la russa
