Players come and go as do coaches and managers. It's the stadium people who stick around. You count on seeing the same people at the park from year to year. The guy who served me my first ballpark beer at old MacArthur Stadium was still at the stick last summer, though he's now a snowbird and doesn't return to CNY and the Sky(gak)Chiefs until June.
One of the things I've loved about the B-Mets is the fun atmosphere, and the person largely responsible for this is Bill Terlecky. Bill's been around baseball nearly 30 years, started with the Rochester Red Wings ages ago, has been various titles at various places, usually the GM, in affiliated and independent minor league ball including a stint in the Northern League, where the motto, the vision statement that guides all they do is, "Fun is good."
Bill has made baseball in Binghamton fun for a number of years now. But he's moving on, back to the Northern League, to become GM for the Gary SouthShore RailCats. While I wish him the best of luck in Indiana, I hope his brand of baseball and "fun is good" attitude stick around, hope Scott and Jim have been paying real close attention to how to make the ballpark experience great.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Let the Countdown Begin!
I like the movie Fever Pitch a lot, and not just because it's about the Red Sox and their glorious championship season. Though I'm not even close to all-out fanaticism of the Jimmy Fallon/Ben Wrightman character, there are many things about him I identify with, especially what he says when someone tells him there are other sports besides baseball: I would debate you, Ed, but that would only lead to me being dragged away in handcuffs.
My students today were talking about football in those yakky few minutes before class starts and while I thought of that quote, but thought better of saying that to them, and instead told them what about football matters to me: the Super Bowl, because that means spring training is only a couple weeks away.
When I stopped for coffee this Saturday, My Barista R told me pitchers and catchers aren't that far away. On Sunday, he said, "One day closer to pitchers and catchers."
My students today were talking about football in those yakky few minutes before class starts and while I thought of that quote, but thought better of saying that to them, and instead told them what about football matters to me: the Super Bowl, because that means spring training is only a couple weeks away.
When I stopped for coffee this Saturday, My Barista R told me pitchers and catchers aren't that far away. On Sunday, he said, "One day closer to pitchers and catchers."
Monday, October 16, 2006
Think Pink
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Everyone, men as well as women, should check their breasts for lumps routinely; if you don't know how to perform a self exam, the Susan G. Komen website will show you how.
October is also Fire Prevention/Fire Safety Awareness Month.
Stop, drop and roll, and get a mammogram.
Cory Lidle
When online friends first reported a plane crashing into a Manhattan skyscraper there were concerns about a possible terrorist attack. Learning that it was not an airliner, but rather a small private plane did not ease fears as such a crash with a plane carrying bio or chemical or nuclear weapons is high on the list of probable and highly-feared attacks for NYC. When the news came later that the small aircraft belonged to Cory Lidle, who was aboard when it crashed it struck a different personal note.
Cory Lidle pitched for the Binghamton Mets, a couple years before I started attending their games, but he's among the players who've been here and done well, a honorary member of My Guys since I never actually saw him play in Binghamton.
Many minor leaguers players were called on as replacement players during the MLB players' 1994-95 strike, young players who felt they would lose any chance of some day making it to the majors if they refused to report as required by the teams' owners. As the 10th anniversary of that lost season rolled around, I did a bit of research about these replacement players who were at the time described as nobodies and no talents, and found several who went on to substantial success later in their careers, probably a close comparison to any other season's group of low level minor leaguers' success rate. Among those replacement players was Cory Lidle.
Back when I first got interested in baseball and had access only to the Yankees and the Mets on TV, I followed the soap-operatic Yankees, the Bronx Zoo, and my favorite Yankee was Thurman Munson. The shock of his death in a private plane crash still gives me pause, and Cory Lidle's death makes that shock echo once more.
Cory Lidle pitched for the Binghamton Mets, a couple years before I started attending their games, but he's among the players who've been here and done well, a honorary member of My Guys since I never actually saw him play in Binghamton.
Many minor leaguers players were called on as replacement players during the MLB players' 1994-95 strike, young players who felt they would lose any chance of some day making it to the majors if they refused to report as required by the teams' owners. As the 10th anniversary of that lost season rolled around, I did a bit of research about these replacement players who were at the time described as nobodies and no talents, and found several who went on to substantial success later in their careers, probably a close comparison to any other season's group of low level minor leaguers' success rate. Among those replacement players was Cory Lidle.
Back when I first got interested in baseball and had access only to the Yankees and the Mets on TV, I followed the soap-operatic Yankees, the Bronx Zoo, and my favorite Yankee was Thurman Munson. The shock of his death in a private plane crash still gives me pause, and Cory Lidle's death makes that shock echo once more.
Me-Wow!
The Tigers might have slipped during the second half of the regular season, but it appears perhaps they were only resting up for the post-season. They lulled the Yankees into thinking they were the team of destiny by allowing them to win the first game of the Division series then mowed 'em down. No sense in tormenting the A's like a cornered mouse, just mowed 'em down in four straight.
He stunk up the joint, but I was happy to see my hometown guy Jason Grilli make a post-season appearance. (Next time, don't walk three straight on 12 pitches, 'kay?)
Looks like the National League series is headed for a full 7 games. If the Cardinals win, it will be a repeat of the first World Series match up I ever saw, back in 1968, and I will have no mixed loyalty in rooting for the Tigers. Should the Mets win (I stand by my earlier prediction of a Tigers-Mets Series), I'll be rooting for the Tigers as a team and the Mets as individual players.
Go Motor City Kitties!
He stunk up the joint, but I was happy to see my hometown guy Jason Grilli make a post-season appearance. (Next time, don't walk three straight on 12 pitches, 'kay?)
Looks like the National League series is headed for a full 7 games. If the Cardinals win, it will be a repeat of the first World Series match up I ever saw, back in 1968, and I will have no mixed loyalty in rooting for the Tigers. Should the Mets win (I stand by my earlier prediction of a Tigers-Mets Series), I'll be rooting for the Tigers as a team and the Mets as individual players.
Go Motor City Kitties!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Major-Minor Swaps
Minor league clubs sign player development agreements (PDA) with major league clubs for two or four years, four years when the association is a good one, two years when there might be problems.
New Orleans was affiliated with Montreal. Made sense if you think of their fan base being of French extraction, otherwise I haven't a clue how that association got started.
Columbus has been with the Yankees since Steinbrenner bought the Yanks; Columbus is his hometown. Makes sense.
Norfolk has been aligned with the Mets for ages. They were called the Tidewater Tides back in the 70's, changed the locale portion of the name when a new ballpark was built.
The trend of late is for a major league team to gather its various levels of farm teams in a region. Toronto left Medicine Hat, Bluefield WV, and other far flung paradises to consolidate its fan base as well as player pool in the northeast. Syracuse has been Toronto's AAA team since 1977 (they were with the Yankees until Steinbrener took over) and they've now got AA in New Hampshire, short-season A in Auburn, NY (just down the road from Syracuse), A in Lansing, MI.
Other teams are doing the same and the Phillies are the ones who got this round rolling.
The Phillies are moving their AAA team closer, leaving Scranton for Allentown and the new ballpark there. Their AA is in Reading. Their fan base will be huge and local.
The Mets wanted to locate their AAA club closer to NYC; they've been pulling guys up from Binghamton in many cases simply because they are physically closer. They thought they would get Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which would be terrific in consolidating the fan base, capturing NE Pennsylvania together with the southern tier of NY, as well be bringing the AAA guys slightly closer.
Norfolk went with Washington. Location again, and since Montreal moved, it made sense that their AAA team might change.
The Yankees grabbed Scranton. Don't know if the Mets ever truly had a chance.
Syracuse made a huge blunder. The local paper has been raking the management and board of directors over the coals for many, many things they've done wrong and continue to do wrong. After making noises about not renewing the PDA with Toronto because of the dismal record the Chiefs have suffered through at their hands, they did not wait until the season was ended and other teams' affiliations were up for grabs. The Syracuse BofD renewed the PDA back in June at a meeting attended by only 13 of 25 members, less than the quorum required for such a decision.
My hope is that the Mets are preparing to unseat Toronto and take over Syracuse at the end of the 2008 season. Both parent teams have new 2-year PDAs in place. The Mets in Syracuse makes as much if not more sense than Scranton would have. The ballpark in Syracuse is fifteen minutes from the airport. The AA team is an hour-fifteen minute ride down the interstate. The area has no other prevailing National League allegiance; the fan base already exists, and putting the AAA team so close to the AA team would boost attendance at both parks as well as increase fan interest in the Mets at all levels.
New Orleans was affiliated with Montreal. Made sense if you think of their fan base being of French extraction, otherwise I haven't a clue how that association got started.
Columbus has been with the Yankees since Steinbrenner bought the Yanks; Columbus is his hometown. Makes sense.
Norfolk has been aligned with the Mets for ages. They were called the Tidewater Tides back in the 70's, changed the locale portion of the name when a new ballpark was built.
The trend of late is for a major league team to gather its various levels of farm teams in a region. Toronto left Medicine Hat, Bluefield WV, and other far flung paradises to consolidate its fan base as well as player pool in the northeast. Syracuse has been Toronto's AAA team since 1977 (they were with the Yankees until Steinbrener took over) and they've now got AA in New Hampshire, short-season A in Auburn, NY (just down the road from Syracuse), A in Lansing, MI.
Other teams are doing the same and the Phillies are the ones who got this round rolling.
The Phillies are moving their AAA team closer, leaving Scranton for Allentown and the new ballpark there. Their AA is in Reading. Their fan base will be huge and local.
The Mets wanted to locate their AAA club closer to NYC; they've been pulling guys up from Binghamton in many cases simply because they are physically closer. They thought they would get Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which would be terrific in consolidating the fan base, capturing NE Pennsylvania together with the southern tier of NY, as well be bringing the AAA guys slightly closer.
Norfolk went with Washington. Location again, and since Montreal moved, it made sense that their AAA team might change.
The Yankees grabbed Scranton. Don't know if the Mets ever truly had a chance.
Syracuse made a huge blunder. The local paper has been raking the management and board of directors over the coals for many, many things they've done wrong and continue to do wrong. After making noises about not renewing the PDA with Toronto because of the dismal record the Chiefs have suffered through at their hands, they did not wait until the season was ended and other teams' affiliations were up for grabs. The Syracuse BofD renewed the PDA back in June at a meeting attended by only 13 of 25 members, less than the quorum required for such a decision.
My hope is that the Mets are preparing to unseat Toronto and take over Syracuse at the end of the 2008 season. Both parent teams have new 2-year PDAs in place. The Mets in Syracuse makes as much if not more sense than Scranton would have. The ballpark in Syracuse is fifteen minutes from the airport. The AA team is an hour-fifteen minute ride down the interstate. The area has no other prevailing National League allegiance; the fan base already exists, and putting the AAA team so close to the AA team would boost attendance at both parks as well as increase fan interest in the Mets at all levels.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Another Reason I'm Rooting for the Tigers
Richard C. worked at the same institution, though with a special program, so our professional paths didn't cross, but our avocational paths did.
Richard, ever smiling, ever cheerful, would pause to talk baseball with me in the hallways. We talked major leagues, minor leagues, collegiate, scholastic, whatever. He kept me posted about his son's team and kept after me to become an umpire for the girls' league.
He was a Tigers fan, the Tigers played in the first World Series game I ever saw, we shared an interest in the same team. I commiserated with him when they were doing poorly, I celebrated with him as they roared this summer.
Richard unexpectedly died this past week. One of my first thoughts on hearing the news was that he couldn't die now, not with the Tigers so close.
I was already planning to root for the Tigers in the Series this year, but it will be with a sense of bittersweet.
Richard, ever smiling, ever cheerful, would pause to talk baseball with me in the hallways. We talked major leagues, minor leagues, collegiate, scholastic, whatever. He kept me posted about his son's team and kept after me to become an umpire for the girls' league.
He was a Tigers fan, the Tigers played in the first World Series game I ever saw, we shared an interest in the same team. I commiserated with him when they were doing poorly, I celebrated with him as they roared this summer.
Richard unexpectedly died this past week. One of my first thoughts on hearing the news was that he couldn't die now, not with the Tigers so close.
I was already planning to root for the Tigers in the Series this year, but it will be with a sense of bittersweet.
Predictions Do Come True
By spring training this year, the Red Sox had divested themselves of half of the championship team. The replacements were adequate players, but not capable of accomplishing what the Idiots had done. The personality of the team was deflated as well.
I do believe in team chemistry; it can be the element that tips a team one way or the other. I'm not saying it's necessary, Mays knows it won't make winners out of also-rans, but it can be integral in some teams' make-up, such as the 2004 Red Sox. Even the prima donnas, the whiners, the so-called baseball diva, were part of the mix that worked.
The Evil Empire has too much influence on the Olde Towne Teame. Theo, under the direction of the owners I'm sure, was/is trying to recreate the team's image, change it from a fun-loving, get-dirty group to a dignified gentlemen. More than any other team, the Red Sox of 2004 resembled the Bronx Zoo of the late '70s, and recalled the Gas House Gang.
The break down of the front office, letting Theo go over creative differences, making deals he probably didn't like before bringing him back, contributed to the break down of the team. Remember, the post-Yawkey ownership of the Sox includes the same brain trust that slapped together a championship team in Miami then stripped it for salvage money.
They didn't have the hitting, they didn't have the pitching. Toronto has been poised to move up in the standing for a couple seasons (their AAA team is the one I read about every morning over my Cheerios).
I do believe in team chemistry; it can be the element that tips a team one way or the other. I'm not saying it's necessary, Mays knows it won't make winners out of also-rans, but it can be integral in some teams' make-up, such as the 2004 Red Sox. Even the prima donnas, the whiners, the so-called baseball diva, were part of the mix that worked.
The Evil Empire has too much influence on the Olde Towne Teame. Theo, under the direction of the owners I'm sure, was/is trying to recreate the team's image, change it from a fun-loving, get-dirty group to a dignified gentlemen. More than any other team, the Red Sox of 2004 resembled the Bronx Zoo of the late '70s, and recalled the Gas House Gang.
The break down of the front office, letting Theo go over creative differences, making deals he probably didn't like before bringing him back, contributed to the break down of the team. Remember, the post-Yawkey ownership of the Sox includes the same brain trust that slapped together a championship team in Miami then stripped it for salvage money.
They didn't have the hitting, they didn't have the pitching. Toronto has been poised to move up in the standing for a couple seasons (their AAA team is the one I read about every morning over my Cheerios).
Friday, September 08, 2006
What happened to this summer?
I knew, going into the season, that I was going to attend fewer B-Mets games than usual, but I have at least 8 unused tickets still in the envelope. Not only was the price of gas an issue, but there were health-related, work, and school issues, not to mention cold, wet, and windy evenings. Yeah, they called me a wimp in the box, but I've been feely creaky this year.
Most of the games I attended, I was with Livianna and her daughters, sitting in the front row (and tracking the thread hanging from John Valentin's inseam) which made this season different. I really enjoyed games in their company, but it meant I wasn't spending time with "my summer family" so it seemed odd.
There were a few high points worth mentioning. All the way back to the All-Star Game, or rather the Home Run Derby. Everyone was ignoring David Wright before the derby began, except the one commentator who said he wouldn't do anything. David did just fine, making it to the final round.
Livianna and I were guests at a skybox in Syracuse and while we had a great view of the pitches, being right above and behind the plate, neither of us liked the location. Too many distractions, too far from the game.
Chase Lambin was back in town, as were a few other guys from the AAA club. Looked like the Big Club was trying to help the B-Mets in their run for the pennant. My Guys clawed their way from last in their division to first in July, but couldn't quite hold on. By the last home game, they had not been eliminated mathematically, but there was a sense that they were not going to win their last four which they would have needed to do to be in the play-offs.
(Sorry, Chase, I never did get a chance to make your oatmeal cranberry cookies.)
As for the majors, I'm predicting a Tigers-Mets Series. My Barista R still thinks the Red Sox can back into the playoffs. Not likely.
Wednesday evening I happened to flip through the channels and come across the ninth inning of Anibel Sanchez's no-hitter. A no-hitter is exciting no matter who throws it, but just last year I was watching this guy, in single-A at the time, pitching well against major leaguers and saw that he had great potential. I'm less adept at picking who among minor league pitchers will make the grade, but this kid obviously had it, has it.
Most of the games I attended, I was with Livianna and her daughters, sitting in the front row (and tracking the thread hanging from John Valentin's inseam) which made this season different. I really enjoyed games in their company, but it meant I wasn't spending time with "my summer family" so it seemed odd.
There were a few high points worth mentioning. All the way back to the All-Star Game, or rather the Home Run Derby. Everyone was ignoring David Wright before the derby began, except the one commentator who said he wouldn't do anything. David did just fine, making it to the final round.
Livianna and I were guests at a skybox in Syracuse and while we had a great view of the pitches, being right above and behind the plate, neither of us liked the location. Too many distractions, too far from the game.
Chase Lambin was back in town, as were a few other guys from the AAA club. Looked like the Big Club was trying to help the B-Mets in their run for the pennant. My Guys clawed their way from last in their division to first in July, but couldn't quite hold on. By the last home game, they had not been eliminated mathematically, but there was a sense that they were not going to win their last four which they would have needed to do to be in the play-offs.
(Sorry, Chase, I never did get a chance to make your oatmeal cranberry cookies.)
As for the majors, I'm predicting a Tigers-Mets Series. My Barista R still thinks the Red Sox can back into the playoffs. Not likely.
Wednesday evening I happened to flip through the channels and come across the ninth inning of Anibel Sanchez's no-hitter. A no-hitter is exciting no matter who throws it, but just last year I was watching this guy, in single-A at the time, pitching well against major leaguers and saw that he had great potential. I'm less adept at picking who among minor league pitchers will make the grade, but this kid obviously had it, has it.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Welcome Return
Finally! Back at the ballpark, and it was a GREAT weekend.
They were promoting this as the "Subway Series North", the B-Mets and the Trenton Thunder playing in their parent teams' uni's. Given the numbers on the Thunders' jerseys, they must have been wearing Yankees spring training jerseys. It was cool to see those classy road grays (even if they are Yankees) and the gorgeous electric blue of the NY Mets'.
Saturday, it was 91 degrees at game time, and it dropped all the way down to 83 by the ninth inning. It was a good game, a welcome change from how they've been playing. P told me they haven't seen a home run in weeks, probably since I was last there, and Jay Caligiuri and Michel Abreu each sent one out. Tim McNab, denizen of the bullpen, made a very respectable spot start, giving up only one run on five hits over five innings. There was some good defense as well, even a nifty 1-5-3 doubleplay (for my non-baseball literate reader, that's pitcher to third baseman to first baseman, not a common combination). I've been in the habit of skipping out as soon as they turn off the lights on fireworks nights, jaded and wanting to beat the traffic, but I stayed for the show Saturday and was rewarded with a great show including new displays.
Sunday was hot, hot, hot, not too humid, with just the right amount of breeze. I downed three beers and a Mike's hard lemonade for hydration and never felt the slightest effect of alcohol; it was sweated out as fast as I took it in. The game was expected to be a pitcher's duel, Philip Hughes and Willie Collazo both high-ranking prospects for their respective franchises; neither starter got a decision. Hughes, 19 years old, gave up only two runs on six hits over seven innings. Collazo gave up two as well over seven innings on one fewer hits. Hughes struck out 11, Collazo 6.
The crowds for the three days of the weekend ranked as third highest in the team's 15 year history. Saturday was sold out, standing room only available, Sunday was nearly sold out as well.
It would have been a perfect return to the ballpark, but from one thing. The spiedie stand was out of Nine Man Ale. Saturday I had to settle for a draft Yuengling, Sunday was better, Anchor porter.
They were promoting this as the "Subway Series North", the B-Mets and the Trenton Thunder playing in their parent teams' uni's. Given the numbers on the Thunders' jerseys, they must have been wearing Yankees spring training jerseys. It was cool to see those classy road grays (even if they are Yankees) and the gorgeous electric blue of the NY Mets'.
Saturday, it was 91 degrees at game time, and it dropped all the way down to 83 by the ninth inning. It was a good game, a welcome change from how they've been playing. P told me they haven't seen a home run in weeks, probably since I was last there, and Jay Caligiuri and Michel Abreu each sent one out. Tim McNab, denizen of the bullpen, made a very respectable spot start, giving up only one run on five hits over five innings. There was some good defense as well, even a nifty 1-5-3 doubleplay (for my non-baseball literate reader, that's pitcher to third baseman to first baseman, not a common combination). I've been in the habit of skipping out as soon as they turn off the lights on fireworks nights, jaded and wanting to beat the traffic, but I stayed for the show Saturday and was rewarded with a great show including new displays.
Sunday was hot, hot, hot, not too humid, with just the right amount of breeze. I downed three beers and a Mike's hard lemonade for hydration and never felt the slightest effect of alcohol; it was sweated out as fast as I took it in. The game was expected to be a pitcher's duel, Philip Hughes and Willie Collazo both high-ranking prospects for their respective franchises; neither starter got a decision. Hughes, 19 years old, gave up only two runs on six hits over seven innings. Collazo gave up two as well over seven innings on one fewer hits. Hughes struck out 11, Collazo 6.
The crowds for the three days of the weekend ranked as third highest in the team's 15 year history. Saturday was sold out, standing room only available, Sunday was nearly sold out as well.
It would have been a perfect return to the ballpark, but from one thing. The spiedie stand was out of Nine Man Ale. Saturday I had to settle for a draft Yuengling, Sunday was better, Anchor porter.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Symposium Time
The 18th annual Cooperstown Symposium, my seventh, was jam packed with great topics. Usually there's at least one concurrent session in which none of the three offerings are of interest and that's when I make my cruise up and down Main Street to check out the stores, but this year not a one. Every concurrent session had at least one presentation I really wanted to hear, usually two so I had to make a decision one which to attend. Felt like a coin toss was gonna be necessary some times.
The focus was on race, with the keynote being offered by a Negro Leagues scholar and two former Negro Leagues players, both charming older gentlemen, and a special exhibit in the Barry Halper Gallery at the Hall of art commissioned by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to celebrate and interpret the sport. Powerful works included in that show, which has been touring the country. (If you know of a venue that might be well served by the exhibit, have them contact the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City .
The Town Ball game was called on account of rain and the picnic was held under a tent in the middle of a muddy pasture. Casey, of course, was there to recite his tale of woe
and we all sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." I was delighted that this year the alternate version of Casey was Garrison Keillor's version, as seen by Mudville's opponents.
There were a lot of new faces at the Symposium this year, record registrations were received. It's always a pleasure to see people from past gatherings, but it's great to get new blood and new enthusiasm into the mix.
The focus was on race, with the keynote being offered by a Negro Leagues scholar and two former Negro Leagues players, both charming older gentlemen, and a special exhibit in the Barry Halper Gallery at the Hall of art commissioned by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to celebrate and interpret the sport. Powerful works included in that show, which has been touring the country. (If you know of a venue that might be well served by the exhibit, have them contact the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City .
The Town Ball game was called on account of rain and the picnic was held under a tent in the middle of a muddy pasture. Casey, of course, was there to recite his tale of woe
and we all sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." I was delighted that this year the alternate version of Casey was Garrison Keillor's version, as seen by Mudville's opponents.There were a lot of new faces at the Symposium this year, record registrations were received. It's always a pleasure to see people from past gatherings, but it's great to get new blood and new enthusiasm into the mix.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Rain, rain
Every other weekend here has been warm and sunny, just beautiful. The alternate weekends are cold and wet and windy. So which weekends do the Mets play at home? The wet ones, of course.
Let's see, I went to opening day in Binghamton, not the best weather but it's a not-to-be-missed game. Two games that weekend. One mid-week day game in Syracuse. Another mid-week game, night game, with Liviana and the girls at Binghamton. That's five in April. One weekend day game in early May. Six.
Here it is, June already a weekend gone, and I've been to a grand total of 6 games this season. I usually go to 6 games in April alone.
Today, naturally, it's sunny, warm, and just plain beautiful out.
Grrrrrr
Let's see, I went to opening day in Binghamton, not the best weather but it's a not-to-be-missed game. Two games that weekend. One mid-week day game in Syracuse. Another mid-week game, night game, with Liviana and the girls at Binghamton. That's five in April. One weekend day game in early May. Six.
Here it is, June already a weekend gone, and I've been to a grand total of 6 games this season. I usually go to 6 games in April alone.
Today, naturally, it's sunny, warm, and just plain beautiful out.
Grrrrrr
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Ladies Day
Sunday, Mother's Day, the Hall of Fame celebrated women in baseball by dedicating a new statue to commemorate the AAGPBL, by rededicate the refurbished Women in Baseball exhibit in the museum, and by hosting panel discussions.
Most of the surviving members of the AAGPBL were on hand for a morning session and hung around the rest of the day in or near the museum. Although I didn't make it to their meet-and-greet (too early!), it was a kick to see them there. I've seen so many films, books, and photos on the league that I recognized many of them, not necessarily by name, but I recognized faces, knew they were former players.
The exhibit is done in a Hollywood Deco style, reminiscent of the era the AAGPBL played, reminds me a bit of movie projectors with the green walls and brushed silver letters. I took only a quick look at the exhibit, but see that it is, in some ways, improved over the prior versions.
The reason I went to Cooperstown on Sunday was the afternoon panel discussions. The first one was women and Little League Baseball, the second contemporary women players. Ila Borders was scheduled to appear at the second, but she had to leave, which disappointment me, but her pinch hitter turned out to be someone I have been wanting to meet for a long time, Ria Cortesio. Actually, during the first session, Ria was seated in front of me and Julie Croteau was seated behind me, and for once I remembered to bring my camera!
The women and Little League, well, really girls in Little League, panel included the person who caused LL to institute a boys-only policy, the "Tubby Rule", and the person who caused LL to be forced to allow girls to play. Kathryn Johnson Massar, in the summer of 1950, cut off most of her hair, tucked the rest under her cap, and borrowed the nickname "Tubby" from the Little Lulu comics to try out for LL in Corning, NY. She played the entire season, with her coach, teammates and other players aware she was actually a girl. The following year, LL spelled out plainly that girls were not allowed to play, and that a charter could be taken away if a team included a girl.
That rule was still in place in 1972 when Maria Pepe tried out for LL in Hoboken, NJ. Other teams in the area objected, and rather than have 200 boys in the town be denied LL baseball, Maria left the team. However, NOW (National Organization for Women) went to bat for Maria, and all the other little girls who just wanted to play, and filed a lawsuit on their behalf. The court found in her favor and LL was required to allow girls to try out for baseball. LL grudgingly accepted the ruling, but also developed softball leagues, to steer girls away from baseball.
Maria Pepe, then and now
The third participant was Katie Brownell who exactly a year before had pitched a perfect Little League game, striking out all 18 batters over six innings. Katie is the only girl playing in her league. Seems not much has changed. Julie Croteau made the observation that Little League keeps track (at least publicly) of how many girls are playing in their softball leagues, but does not keep track of how many girls are participating in baseball, claiming they track only the number of players, not their genders. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I agree with premise that LL is hiding those numbers to disguise how many girls play baseball.
The second session, contemporary women in baseball, had a panel consisting of Julie Croteau, Robin Wallace, Ria Cortesio, Phil Niekro, and last minute addition Robin Roberts. (I think Roberts was included just because when there's a HOFer on the premises, he gets put before the public. He had no connection to the subject, as far as I could tell.)
Julie was the first woman to play on a men's college baseball team, first base. She later played for the short-lived Silver Bullets, a professional women's team sponsored by Coors (to promote their then-new product, Silver Bullet Light Beer), went on to coach a men's college team, as well as Team USA in the Women's World Cup of Baseball.
Julie Croteau
Robin Wallace also played on the men's team in college, played on Team USA in the 2004 World Cup, and currently plays baseball in a women's league in Boston.
Robin Wallace
Phil Niekro was the manager of the Silver Bullets (who folded once their sponsorship was discontinued) and provided a lot of laughs for the audience, an animated storyteller.
Ria Cortesio is the only women currently umpiring in organized baseball. Well, not actually at this very moment as the minor league umpires are on strike. That's how she was available to be here during the season. I've been following Ria's career since I first became aware of her, during her second season as an umpire. I'm convinced that the first woman to actively participate in a major league game will be as an umpire. (Major League Baseball already has a woman on the field, head groundskeeper for Detroit, Heather Nabozny.) The argument against women as players because of lack of upper body strength holds absolutely no water in the officiating department. (If girls grew up playing baseball as boys do, they would develop the upper body sufficiently to play competitively with men; you can't suddenly take up an activity as an adult and expect to have the same physical resources as those who have been practicing all their lives.)
Ria Cortesio
When I drove cross-country a few years ago to meet online friends for a game at Wrigley, I made a few stops along the way at minor league parks. Several of those teams played in the Mid-West League, the league Ria was then working for, and I hoped that I might get a chance to see her in action. I did, at the Kane County Cougars' game. (Kane County was the best crowd I have even seen at a ballpark, a great place to attend a game.) At the time, I was thrilled to see her work, thrilled that young girls, 10-12 year olds, were running down to the rail and exclaiming "the ump is a girl!" , a new possibility made real for them. Every season I check the umpire rosters to see where Ria is working, hoping she'll get promoted to the International League, or if she has to remain in Double-A, work for the Eastern League. To see her, unexpectedly, at the Hall Sunday was special. I was almost speechless, but I pulled myself together enough to introduce myself to Ria and have a short conversation.
All three of these women presented themselves as thoughtful, mature people who knew what their circumstances have meant, not only to themselves, but to other women and to generations of girls to come.
Most of the surviving members of the AAGPBL were on hand for a morning session and hung around the rest of the day in or near the museum. Although I didn't make it to their meet-and-greet (too early!), it was a kick to see them there. I've seen so many films, books, and photos on the league that I recognized many of them, not necessarily by name, but I recognized faces, knew they were former players.
The exhibit is done in a Hollywood Deco style, reminiscent of the era the AAGPBL played, reminds me a bit of movie projectors with the green walls and brushed silver letters. I took only a quick look at the exhibit, but see that it is, in some ways, improved over the prior versions.
The reason I went to Cooperstown on Sunday was the afternoon panel discussions. The first one was women and Little League Baseball, the second contemporary women players. Ila Borders was scheduled to appear at the second, but she had to leave, which disappointment me, but her pinch hitter turned out to be someone I have been wanting to meet for a long time, Ria Cortesio. Actually, during the first session, Ria was seated in front of me and Julie Croteau was seated behind me, and for once I remembered to bring my camera!
The women and Little League, well, really girls in Little League, panel included the person who caused LL to institute a boys-only policy, the "Tubby Rule", and the person who caused LL to be forced to allow girls to play. Kathryn Johnson Massar, in the summer of 1950, cut off most of her hair, tucked the rest under her cap, and borrowed the nickname "Tubby" from the Little Lulu comics to try out for LL in Corning, NY. She played the entire season, with her coach, teammates and other players aware she was actually a girl. The following year, LL spelled out plainly that girls were not allowed to play, and that a charter could be taken away if a team included a girl.
That rule was still in place in 1972 when Maria Pepe tried out for LL in Hoboken, NJ. Other teams in the area objected, and rather than have 200 boys in the town be denied LL baseball, Maria left the team. However, NOW (National Organization for Women) went to bat for Maria, and all the other little girls who just wanted to play, and filed a lawsuit on their behalf. The court found in her favor and LL was required to allow girls to try out for baseball. LL grudgingly accepted the ruling, but also developed softball leagues, to steer girls away from baseball.
Maria Pepe, then and now
The third participant was Katie Brownell who exactly a year before had pitched a perfect Little League game, striking out all 18 batters over six innings. Katie is the only girl playing in her league. Seems not much has changed. Julie Croteau made the observation that Little League keeps track (at least publicly) of how many girls are playing in their softball leagues, but does not keep track of how many girls are participating in baseball, claiming they track only the number of players, not their genders. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I agree with premise that LL is hiding those numbers to disguise how many girls play baseball.
The second session, contemporary women in baseball, had a panel consisting of Julie Croteau, Robin Wallace, Ria Cortesio, Phil Niekro, and last minute addition Robin Roberts. (I think Roberts was included just because when there's a HOFer on the premises, he gets put before the public. He had no connection to the subject, as far as I could tell.)
Julie was the first woman to play on a men's college baseball team, first base. She later played for the short-lived Silver Bullets, a professional women's team sponsored by Coors (to promote their then-new product, Silver Bullet Light Beer), went on to coach a men's college team, as well as Team USA in the Women's World Cup of Baseball.
Julie Croteau
Robin Wallace also played on the men's team in college, played on Team USA in the 2004 World Cup, and currently plays baseball in a women's league in Boston.
Robin Wallace
Phil Niekro was the manager of the Silver Bullets (who folded once their sponsorship was discontinued) and provided a lot of laughs for the audience, an animated storyteller.
Ria Cortesio is the only women currently umpiring in organized baseball. Well, not actually at this very moment as the minor league umpires are on strike. That's how she was available to be here during the season. I've been following Ria's career since I first became aware of her, during her second season as an umpire. I'm convinced that the first woman to actively participate in a major league game will be as an umpire. (Major League Baseball already has a woman on the field, head groundskeeper for Detroit, Heather Nabozny.) The argument against women as players because of lack of upper body strength holds absolutely no water in the officiating department. (If girls grew up playing baseball as boys do, they would develop the upper body sufficiently to play competitively with men; you can't suddenly take up an activity as an adult and expect to have the same physical resources as those who have been practicing all their lives.)
Ria Cortesio
When I drove cross-country a few years ago to meet online friends for a game at Wrigley, I made a few stops along the way at minor league parks. Several of those teams played in the Mid-West League, the league Ria was then working for, and I hoped that I might get a chance to see her in action. I did, at the Kane County Cougars' game. (Kane County was the best crowd I have even seen at a ballpark, a great place to attend a game.) At the time, I was thrilled to see her work, thrilled that young girls, 10-12 year olds, were running down to the rail and exclaiming "the ump is a girl!" , a new possibility made real for them. Every season I check the umpire rosters to see where Ria is working, hoping she'll get promoted to the International League, or if she has to remain in Double-A, work for the Eastern League. To see her, unexpectedly, at the Hall Sunday was special. I was almost speechless, but I pulled myself together enough to introduce myself to Ria and have a short conversation.
All three of these women presented themselves as thoughtful, mature people who knew what their circumstances have meant, not only to themselves, but to other women and to generations of girls to come.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Just Gets Better
This season has been good, now it's great.
I've seen Earl Snyder play.
Day game Wednesday, sunshine, a Hoffman's hot dog, a Saranac Black & Tan, and the Duke of Earl playing third.
For once he wasn't the Taco Bell K-Man. That honor was bestowed on former B-Met Rob Stratton. Back in the day, when Earl played for the B-Mets, he and Rob were the one-two power punch in the middle of the lineup. It's cool to see them batting back-to-back again. (Yup, Rob struck out, once, tacos for everyone.) I loved that there were other fans at the game loudly rooting for Earl; he has a following in the minors besides me.
Earl can pick it at third, made several barehanded stops, and only one of them didn't result in the batter being out at first, a play that couldn't have been made by any third baseman. His batting average is low, not surprising with less than a week of the season gone, but his walks are up and his strike outs down, good, good signs. And he hit his first homer of the season Wednesday. Thanks, Duke, for letting me see it.
I also got to see Wayne Lydon's first homer as a Sky[gak]Chief. Wayne was another of those gemstone centerfielders that parade through the B-Mets, but he's with Syracuse now, still has that funny walk that's instantly recognizable.
Speaking of recognizable, my dad just got a tourism book from New Hampshire, and in the section about the Merrimack area, (the New Hampshire Fisher Cats play in Manchester on the banks of the Merrimack) there's a photo taken from above, of a player at the plate and the catcher, the righthanded batter twisting away with his swing. It's patently clear that the catcher is a Fisher Cat and that the batter is a PawSox player, and while the numeral on his back is a 7, it's more than that that makes me think it's Earl. The grip, the stance, they look like Earl's. And that tickles me.
I've seen Earl Snyder play.
Day game Wednesday, sunshine, a Hoffman's hot dog, a Saranac Black & Tan, and the Duke of Earl playing third.
For once he wasn't the Taco Bell K-Man. That honor was bestowed on former B-Met Rob Stratton. Back in the day, when Earl played for the B-Mets, he and Rob were the one-two power punch in the middle of the lineup. It's cool to see them batting back-to-back again. (Yup, Rob struck out, once, tacos for everyone.) I loved that there were other fans at the game loudly rooting for Earl; he has a following in the minors besides me.
Earl can pick it at third, made several barehanded stops, and only one of them didn't result in the batter being out at first, a play that couldn't have been made by any third baseman. His batting average is low, not surprising with less than a week of the season gone, but his walks are up and his strike outs down, good, good signs. And he hit his first homer of the season Wednesday. Thanks, Duke, for letting me see it.
I also got to see Wayne Lydon's first homer as a Sky[gak]Chief. Wayne was another of those gemstone centerfielders that parade through the B-Mets, but he's with Syracuse now, still has that funny walk that's instantly recognizable.
Speaking of recognizable, my dad just got a tourism book from New Hampshire, and in the section about the Merrimack area, (the New Hampshire Fisher Cats play in Manchester on the banks of the Merrimack) there's a photo taken from above, of a player at the plate and the catcher, the righthanded batter twisting away with his swing. It's patently clear that the catcher is a Fisher Cat and that the batter is a PawSox player, and while the numeral on his back is a 7, it's more than that that makes me think it's Earl. The grip, the stance, they look like Earl's. And that tickles me.
One Down, Eleven To Go
Liviana gave me a list of dates she and the girls would come to the ballpark with me, four Sunday games, but before individual tickets went on sale she came back with the announcement that Grace wants to see every team in the Eastern League at least once this season, the new list had twelve dates. In past seasons, Liviana's usually picked Altoona or Trenton games, but the baseball bug has clearly bitten Grace. What she didn't expect was that there's gonna be a quiz each game: who is the opponent (team and city), where is the team located, what is their major league parent team (city and name)? What until I ask her AL or NL parent team and why that matters in the Eastern League.
Their first game was Sunday, against Akron. Sunny afternoon, but cool, cooling, cold breeze, and by the time the game was finally over, we all had sunburns and windburns.
The game went 15 innings. The B-Mets scored three runs, but then through brain freezes or inexperience or partying the night before, they managed to throw three runs back at the Aeros. Somebody on the field thought he was Mike Schmidt or something, flinging the ball vaguely in the direction of the catcher and home plate only to have the pitcher corral it near the dugout. Akron tied the game in the top of the eighth, and from that point forward it seemed like Brett Harper led off each inning for the B-Mets, followed by Jay Caliguiri, Bobby Malek, and Jorge Padilla. And it seemed that one of the first three got on base each inning, the other two drawing outs, and Padilla put an end to any possible rally. I know the box score says other players came to the plate between their at bats, but it didn't seem that way. Grace is proud of herself because she predicted the final play. Almost. She predicted a home run, but she didn't predict that it would be with one on and that it would come off the bat of the rally quencher, Jorge Padilla.
A long game, nearly two for the price of one, but it never got boring, something that occasionally happens in a nine inning game.
Mellow still qualifies for a child's admission, which means not only a reduced price for her seat, but on Sundays she gets free food.
The excitement of the day didn't end when the game did. Sunday was Grace's first foray onto the interstate, and into the "big city".
Their first game was Sunday, against Akron. Sunny afternoon, but cool, cooling, cold breeze, and by the time the game was finally over, we all had sunburns and windburns.
The game went 15 innings. The B-Mets scored three runs, but then through brain freezes or inexperience or partying the night before, they managed to throw three runs back at the Aeros. Somebody on the field thought he was Mike Schmidt or something, flinging the ball vaguely in the direction of the catcher and home plate only to have the pitcher corral it near the dugout. Akron tied the game in the top of the eighth, and from that point forward it seemed like Brett Harper led off each inning for the B-Mets, followed by Jay Caliguiri, Bobby Malek, and Jorge Padilla. And it seemed that one of the first three got on base each inning, the other two drawing outs, and Padilla put an end to any possible rally. I know the box score says other players came to the plate between their at bats, but it didn't seem that way. Grace is proud of herself because she predicted the final play. Almost. She predicted a home run, but she didn't predict that it would be with one on and that it would come off the bat of the rally quencher, Jorge Padilla.
A long game, nearly two for the price of one, but it never got boring, something that occasionally happens in a nine inning game.
Mellow still qualifies for a child's admission, which means not only a reduced price for her seat, but on Sundays she gets free food.
The excitement of the day didn't end when the game did. Sunday was Grace's first foray onto the interstate, and into the "big city".
Off to a Good Start
The 2006 season is off to a good start as far as I'm concerned.
Opening Day I had hoped to turn into a day-night doubleheader, but it was too cold. I knew I was going to be cold and possibly miserable, and while in the shower to get ready to head to Syracuse I kept running through the logistics of how much clothing I was going to have to wear to keep warm through that game, skip out before it ended to make it to Binghamton before the first pitch, with a stop somewhere in between to add more clothes because it would be colder after the sun went down. I had visions of trying to wrestle into layers at a rest area, stripping off the outer layers to add under layers, and I said the heck with it. Eight hours or so of being cold, with a wardrobe update midway, nope. Besides, there was another day game in Syracuse less than a week later.
The evening turned out to be surprisingly mild. The "official" temperature at game time in Binghamton was 50, and it fell no lower than 48, and there was absolutely no breeze. I wouldn't call it balmy, but I was perfectly comfortable with my thermal underwear, three layers of shirts, and leather mittens.
Being back at the ballpark was wonderful, most of the regulars, my "summer family", showed up. The team was mostly new, as expected. Brett Harper is back, yet again, at first base. Jay Caligiuri is back at third as well, his previous season shortened by injury. Rags, Corey Ragsdale, is at short again. Jonathan Slack and Bobby Malek are the corner outfielders again. Centerfield, the gemstone position with this team, has yet another new hot prospect who appears to have the goods, Carlos Gomez. I'll be keeping track of him this season as he goes for the stolen base record.
A handful of the pitchers are returnees, but as they were introducing the team on Opening Night, it seemed like the pitchers kept pouring out the dugout and I was wondering just how many players the B-Mets have on their roster.
The B-Mets won Game 1 of 2006, beating the Akron Aeros 3-0.
Opening Day I had hoped to turn into a day-night doubleheader, but it was too cold. I knew I was going to be cold and possibly miserable, and while in the shower to get ready to head to Syracuse I kept running through the logistics of how much clothing I was going to have to wear to keep warm through that game, skip out before it ended to make it to Binghamton before the first pitch, with a stop somewhere in between to add more clothes because it would be colder after the sun went down. I had visions of trying to wrestle into layers at a rest area, stripping off the outer layers to add under layers, and I said the heck with it. Eight hours or so of being cold, with a wardrobe update midway, nope. Besides, there was another day game in Syracuse less than a week later.
The evening turned out to be surprisingly mild. The "official" temperature at game time in Binghamton was 50, and it fell no lower than 48, and there was absolutely no breeze. I wouldn't call it balmy, but I was perfectly comfortable with my thermal underwear, three layers of shirts, and leather mittens.
Being back at the ballpark was wonderful, most of the regulars, my "summer family", showed up. The team was mostly new, as expected. Brett Harper is back, yet again, at first base. Jay Caligiuri is back at third as well, his previous season shortened by injury. Rags, Corey Ragsdale, is at short again. Jonathan Slack and Bobby Malek are the corner outfielders again. Centerfield, the gemstone position with this team, has yet another new hot prospect who appears to have the goods, Carlos Gomez. I'll be keeping track of him this season as he goes for the stolen base record.
A handful of the pitchers are returnees, but as they were introducing the team on Opening Night, it seemed like the pitchers kept pouring out the dugout and I was wondering just how many players the B-Mets have on their roster.
The B-Mets won Game 1 of 2006, beating the Akron Aeros 3-0.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Beginnings
The Draft
Draft Day is done, and so is the clean up, I think. We had a few people unable to be online at draft time, but those of us who were there had a good time. The conversation has an ebb and flow. There's the joking and joshing as we arrive in the minutes preceding the start of the draft and once it's underway (there's a countdown clock and you can tell people are watching it) the (mild) smack talk shows up as we ridicule each other's picks and curse in symbols when someone snags the guy we were going to grab this round. The Kansas City Royals receive their requisite mocking. Then in the middle rounds (this thing lasts 25 rounds) things die down, it gets so quiet I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one still online, but as the last couple rounds roll around, the chatter picks up again and people often make their adieux as their final pick approaches.
We run a keeper league in a non-keeper setting. Each team owner/manager is allowed to retain four players from his roster as it stood on the last day of the previous season. The first couple seasons we were using a service that let us just check a box beside the names of players we each wanted to keep and come next year, they'd be waiting for us. We had a couple of issues with that service and moved to Yahoo! which wipes the slate clean so maintaining keepers is a matter of recordkeeping by the commissioner. Actually, the commissioner is supposed to keep all of the rosters over the winter (which is only as successful as the current commissioner is at keeping track of where her dad moved that particular pile of papers) and in the month preceding draft day, post the rosters, and as people name their keepers, keep a running tally of them. Everyone is asked to put these players on their exclusion list so they won't be in anyone's queue and get drafted by someone else.
We've had mixed results with this. We usually have a conversation about when to draft our keepers, but I think we've finally got that part down. You don't have to draft your keepers at all, draft other players whom you cut when you pick up your keepers after the draft. It works as a built-in "Oops" mechanism: if you drafted someone you didn't really mean to, you still have a chance to pick up someone you want during the draft. Learning that the player you just drafted announced his retirement that morning, something you learn only through our draft-time chitchat, might mean you'd rather have a player who's actually going to play this year. Oops factor to the rescue.
People not excluding players is the problem, and every year we have a couple keepers drafted by another team by mistake. This year we had it in spades. Two owners/managers apparently hadn't had a chance to put any players on the excluded list and neither of them was online for the draft; of 52 keepers, at least 40 of them were drafted by those two teams. After the first five or six keepers who were snagged by the MIA, it became something of game guessing which keeper they were going to draft next. It was funny, and frustrating, and in the late rounds I decided to play it safe, decided to draft my keepers, only to see Jason Varitek headed south. I spent the next evening sorting who had whose and which players to drop and add from which rosters. I ran into problems with the "Can't Cut List", a feature Yahoo has that prevents anyone from moving certain players to avoid stacking of rosters. Next day I finally found out the commissioner can shut the damn thing off! Once I did that, things went fairly smoothly and I think, I hope, everyone has his correct players before opening day, when the stats start counting.
Here's my opening day roster:
Aaron Hill* (New Hamshpire-AA)
Brian Schneider
Bronson Arroyo*(Pawtucket-AAA)
David Ortiz* (Boston)
David Wright*(Binghamton-AA)
Dontrelle Willis
Jason Varitek* (Boston)
John Buck *(Auburn-short season A)
Jose Guillen
Josh Beckett
Josh Towers* (Syracuse-AAA)
Justin Morneau*(New Britain-AA)
Ken Griffey Jr.
Lenny DiNardo(?*)
Mark Ellis
Matt Clement
Mike Mussina
Moises Alou
Russ Adams*(Auburn-short season A)
Tim Wakefield*(Boston)
Ty Wigginton*(Binghamton-AA)
Vernon Wells*(Syracuse-AAA)
Vinnie Chulk*(Syracuse-AAA)
Yusmeiro Petit*(Binghamton-AA)
Zach Day
Again, a mix weighted to Red Sox and guys I've seen play in person*. I've been scouting them in the minors, I guess.
Decisions, Decisions
The season hasn't started yet and already I've had to make the decision of whether to go to a specific game or skip it. My extended family used to have a lot of gatherings. There are 23 cousins in my generation and for a long time most of us lived within shouting distance of each other and our grandparents house. Time and distance has increased to the point that over the past few years the only time we seem to get together is for calling hours and funerals. This week an invitation to a birthday celebration for one of my uncles, his 80th. Since the chances to gather with family are getting scarcer, it's hard to say no, but it's the first Saturday the B-Mets will be home, one of the rare day games they play, and everybody knows baseball was meant to be enjoyed in daylight. When my dad told his ladyfriend about the celebration, the first thing she said was that if there's a ball game I wouldn't be there and that the family wouldn't be expecting me. I did skip Easter dinner last year to be at the ballpark. I wrestled with this for a couple days, and when I saw a day game the next Wednesday in Syracuse I figured that was my consolation prize. I'll be at the celebration, but I'll be wearing my baseball earrings.
Draft Day is done, and so is the clean up, I think. We had a few people unable to be online at draft time, but those of us who were there had a good time. The conversation has an ebb and flow. There's the joking and joshing as we arrive in the minutes preceding the start of the draft and once it's underway (there's a countdown clock and you can tell people are watching it) the (mild) smack talk shows up as we ridicule each other's picks and curse in symbols when someone snags the guy we were going to grab this round. The Kansas City Royals receive their requisite mocking. Then in the middle rounds (this thing lasts 25 rounds) things die down, it gets so quiet I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one still online, but as the last couple rounds roll around, the chatter picks up again and people often make their adieux as their final pick approaches.
We run a keeper league in a non-keeper setting. Each team owner/manager is allowed to retain four players from his roster as it stood on the last day of the previous season. The first couple seasons we were using a service that let us just check a box beside the names of players we each wanted to keep and come next year, they'd be waiting for us. We had a couple of issues with that service and moved to Yahoo! which wipes the slate clean so maintaining keepers is a matter of recordkeeping by the commissioner. Actually, the commissioner is supposed to keep all of the rosters over the winter (which is only as successful as the current commissioner is at keeping track of where her dad moved that particular pile of papers) and in the month preceding draft day, post the rosters, and as people name their keepers, keep a running tally of them. Everyone is asked to put these players on their exclusion list so they won't be in anyone's queue and get drafted by someone else.
We've had mixed results with this. We usually have a conversation about when to draft our keepers, but I think we've finally got that part down. You don't have to draft your keepers at all, draft other players whom you cut when you pick up your keepers after the draft. It works as a built-in "Oops" mechanism: if you drafted someone you didn't really mean to, you still have a chance to pick up someone you want during the draft. Learning that the player you just drafted announced his retirement that morning, something you learn only through our draft-time chitchat, might mean you'd rather have a player who's actually going to play this year. Oops factor to the rescue.
People not excluding players is the problem, and every year we have a couple keepers drafted by another team by mistake. This year we had it in spades. Two owners/managers apparently hadn't had a chance to put any players on the excluded list and neither of them was online for the draft; of 52 keepers, at least 40 of them were drafted by those two teams. After the first five or six keepers who were snagged by the MIA, it became something of game guessing which keeper they were going to draft next. It was funny, and frustrating, and in the late rounds I decided to play it safe, decided to draft my keepers, only to see Jason Varitek headed south. I spent the next evening sorting who had whose and which players to drop and add from which rosters. I ran into problems with the "Can't Cut List", a feature Yahoo has that prevents anyone from moving certain players to avoid stacking of rosters. Next day I finally found out the commissioner can shut the damn thing off! Once I did that, things went fairly smoothly and I think, I hope, everyone has his correct players before opening day, when the stats start counting.
Here's my opening day roster:
Aaron Hill* (New Hamshpire-AA)
Brian Schneider
Bronson Arroyo*(Pawtucket-AAA)
David Ortiz* (Boston)
David Wright*(Binghamton-AA)
Dontrelle Willis
Jason Varitek* (Boston)
John Buck *(Auburn-short season A)
Jose Guillen
Josh Beckett
Josh Towers* (Syracuse-AAA)
Justin Morneau*(New Britain-AA)
Ken Griffey Jr.
Lenny DiNardo(?*)
Mark Ellis
Matt Clement
Mike Mussina
Moises Alou
Russ Adams*(Auburn-short season A)
Tim Wakefield*(Boston)
Ty Wigginton*(Binghamton-AA)
Vernon Wells*(Syracuse-AAA)
Vinnie Chulk*(Syracuse-AAA)
Yusmeiro Petit*(Binghamton-AA)
Zach Day
Again, a mix weighted to Red Sox and guys I've seen play in person*. I've been scouting them in the minors, I guess.
Decisions, Decisions
The season hasn't started yet and already I've had to make the decision of whether to go to a specific game or skip it. My extended family used to have a lot of gatherings. There are 23 cousins in my generation and for a long time most of us lived within shouting distance of each other and our grandparents house. Time and distance has increased to the point that over the past few years the only time we seem to get together is for calling hours and funerals. This week an invitation to a birthday celebration for one of my uncles, his 80th. Since the chances to gather with family are getting scarcer, it's hard to say no, but it's the first Saturday the B-Mets will be home, one of the rare day games they play, and everybody knows baseball was meant to be enjoyed in daylight. When my dad told his ladyfriend about the celebration, the first thing she said was that if there's a ball game I wouldn't be there and that the family wouldn't be expecting me. I did skip Easter dinner last year to be at the ballpark. I wrestled with this for a couple days, and when I saw a day game the next Wednesday in Syracuse I figured that was my consolation prize. I'll be at the celebration, but I'll be wearing my baseball earrings.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Into the Home Stretch
to mix sport metaphors....
It is now less than a week to opening day for the majors and only 10 days to Opening Day. Which I'm making into a day/night doubleheader. Syracuse has a day game, Binghamton a night game. I know I'll have to leave before the end of the Sky(gak)Chiefs game, but that's fine (as long as it's not rainy - don't know if I can sit through two wet games in one [cold] day.)
I've sent in my ticket order, can't wait to see where they put me this year. Between the hike in gas prices and other financial constraints, I've had to cut back on the number of games I can go to, no Friday night games this year. This is particularly disheartening as I keep hoping next season I will finally be able to afford a real season's ticket.
Chase Revisited
While prepping for the fantasy draft, I read (okay, skim through) a couple of baseball annuals. My favorite has long been Street & Smith's; interesting articles, lots of good stats, meaningful but brief analysis of each team's strengths and weaknesses. They also include info on the minor league systems of each team, this year's has a big sidebar on each team's main page highlighting the franchise's top ten minor leaguers. Number 10 for the Mets? Chase Lambin. S&S says he's much better at second than shortstop. Haven't I been saying that along?
It is now less than a week to opening day for the majors and only 10 days to Opening Day. Which I'm making into a day/night doubleheader. Syracuse has a day game, Binghamton a night game. I know I'll have to leave before the end of the Sky(gak)Chiefs game, but that's fine (as long as it's not rainy - don't know if I can sit through two wet games in one [cold] day.)
I've sent in my ticket order, can't wait to see where they put me this year. Between the hike in gas prices and other financial constraints, I've had to cut back on the number of games I can go to, no Friday night games this year. This is particularly disheartening as I keep hoping next season I will finally be able to afford a real season's ticket.
Chase Revisited
While prepping for the fantasy draft, I read (okay, skim through) a couple of baseball annuals. My favorite has long been Street & Smith's; interesting articles, lots of good stats, meaningful but brief analysis of each team's strengths and weaknesses. They also include info on the minor league systems of each team, this year's has a big sidebar on each team's main page highlighting the franchise's top ten minor leaguers. Number 10 for the Mets? Chase Lambin. S&S says he's much better at second than shortstop. Haven't I been saying that along?
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Soon, soon
It's been a quiet winter in Lake Woebegone....
Not much has been happening baseballwise, just the slow countdown on the clock beside my vitamins until it got to the one month mark, then BOOM!
The World Baseball Classic is registering on my consciousness, but not making much of an impact. So far, I've watched only one game, not even all of that one, Puerto Rico against Cuba. The game, which surprisingly (or not) ended after seven innings because of a mercy rule (but not merciful enough, the game lasted waaaaaaay too long, even for a 9-inning affair) was fun to watch because my dad's favorite Yankee, Bernie Williams, hit a homer right after we turned the game on, and because a former B-Met was pitching for PR, Dicky Gonzalez.
I'll tell you how long that game was: the Syracuse University basketball game started after the WBC game started and SU finished before the sixth inning was over.
Speaking of SU basketball...
I pay attention to it only because my dad does, and usually he can't bear to watch. After they won the Big East tourney game 74-73 over Cincinnati with some excellent play by Gerry MacNamara and the second game in overtime 86-84 over number 1 ranked UConn again much thanks to G-Mac, he figured they were done. "They won't win a third game. Nobody's ever won a third game, especially after an overtime win." Are you forgetting what happened in 2004, dad? Which made the 58-57 win over Georgetown even sweeter. I finally caved, and watched the last 2.25 minutes of the Pittsburgh game. SU was leading when I switched the channel, but it was nailbiting time, especially when Josh Wright had to take four foul shots. Devendorf was hiding his head, clutching the coach's hand on the sidelines at that point. It was an incredible win. If they make it to the Final Four I might just have to watch.
So long, Kirby. A lot of baseball fans I know were greatly saddened by the death of Kirby Puckett, died of a stroke at age 44. He played during my self-imposed exile from baseball, so I have to depend on their remembrances, but from everything I've read, from fans and professional writers, he was exactly the kind of player I love, those who love the game and let it show daily on the field.
As for Barry Bonds, I'm not withholding judgment per se, but waiting until I've read the book except in Sports Illustrated to offer comment. But I will say this, from what I have read and seen over the past few years, I would say Barry Bonds ranks right along side Pete Rose in thinking he is above the Game.
It's nearly Draft Day! Time to get my wish list in order. I'm starting with a nice core of 4 keepers from last season: Dontrelle Willis, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, and David Wright.
Not much has been happening baseballwise, just the slow countdown on the clock beside my vitamins until it got to the one month mark, then BOOM!
The World Baseball Classic is registering on my consciousness, but not making much of an impact. So far, I've watched only one game, not even all of that one, Puerto Rico against Cuba. The game, which surprisingly (or not) ended after seven innings because of a mercy rule (but not merciful enough, the game lasted waaaaaaay too long, even for a 9-inning affair) was fun to watch because my dad's favorite Yankee, Bernie Williams, hit a homer right after we turned the game on, and because a former B-Met was pitching for PR, Dicky Gonzalez.
I'll tell you how long that game was: the Syracuse University basketball game started after the WBC game started and SU finished before the sixth inning was over.
Speaking of SU basketball...
I pay attention to it only because my dad does, and usually he can't bear to watch. After they won the Big East tourney game 74-73 over Cincinnati with some excellent play by Gerry MacNamara and the second game in overtime 86-84 over number 1 ranked UConn again much thanks to G-Mac, he figured they were done. "They won't win a third game. Nobody's ever won a third game, especially after an overtime win." Are you forgetting what happened in 2004, dad? Which made the 58-57 win over Georgetown even sweeter. I finally caved, and watched the last 2.25 minutes of the Pittsburgh game. SU was leading when I switched the channel, but it was nailbiting time, especially when Josh Wright had to take four foul shots. Devendorf was hiding his head, clutching the coach's hand on the sidelines at that point. It was an incredible win. If they make it to the Final Four I might just have to watch.
So long, Kirby. A lot of baseball fans I know were greatly saddened by the death of Kirby Puckett, died of a stroke at age 44. He played during my self-imposed exile from baseball, so I have to depend on their remembrances, but from everything I've read, from fans and professional writers, he was exactly the kind of player I love, those who love the game and let it show daily on the field.
As for Barry Bonds, I'm not withholding judgment per se, but waiting until I've read the book except in Sports Illustrated to offer comment. But I will say this, from what I have read and seen over the past few years, I would say Barry Bonds ranks right along side Pete Rose in thinking he is above the Game.
It's nearly Draft Day! Time to get my wish list in order. I'm starting with a nice core of 4 keepers from last season: Dontrelle Willis, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, and David Wright.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Scorecard Here!
Get your scorecard here!
People are signing up for the league, almost everybody back on board already, but it appears that some virus caused a massive rush to change team names.
I don't think anyone is still using their original name from seven years ago, including me. (I've had three different team names but am standing fast with the one that honors my heritage and my Sweet Baboo Crash Snyder, the Huskytown Dukes) Several of the guys were still using their original names (or some close variation of it) as of last season. Must be the seven year itch.
I'm gonna need a scorecard this year to keep track of who was who. Maybe I'll try visual memory clues, like picturing Spike as Big Bird, running the Yellow Chickens, and JJ standing outside a Krispy Kreme waiting for the red light to come on.
People are signing up for the league, almost everybody back on board already, but it appears that some virus caused a massive rush to change team names.
I don't think anyone is still using their original name from seven years ago, including me. (I've had three different team names but am standing fast with the one that honors my heritage and my Sweet Baboo Crash Snyder, the Huskytown Dukes) Several of the guys were still using their original names (or some close variation of it) as of last season. Must be the seven year itch.
I'm gonna need a scorecard this year to keep track of who was who. Maybe I'll try visual memory clues, like picturing Spike as Big Bird, running the Yellow Chickens, and JJ standing outside a Krispy Kreme waiting for the red light to come on.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Woo, baby!
Yes, yes, the season's coming soon.
Last night I had a dream that David Wright was back in Binghamton, it was before the game and he was on the field tossing baseballs and his cap into the stands.
AND
I set up the fantasy league this afternoon, earliest I've been able to do that. Now I have to find my notes and make sure the positions are allocated properly and the scoring categories are the correct ones.
I haven't been this excited about baseball since the Red Sox won the World Series.
Last night I had a dream that David Wright was back in Binghamton, it was before the game and he was on the field tossing baseballs and his cap into the stands.
AND
I set up the fantasy league this afternoon, earliest I've been able to do that. Now I have to find my notes and make sure the positions are allocated properly and the scoring categories are the correct ones.
I haven't been this excited about baseball since the Red Sox won the World Series.
The Look of the Future?
Caught a few snippets of the Carribean World Series over the weekend and was horrified by the ads plastered all over the players' uniforms. They looked like NASCAR--not like the drivers, but the cars! A couple years ago major league baseball was toying with the idea of selling space on uniforms to raise revenues. The only test so far was a small patch on the sleeve of the two teams who played their opening games in Japan, Mets and Cubs if I recall correctly. Those patches were small and unobtrusive, almost looked like the branding done to the jerserys by their manufacturers. But the large logos on the Carribean uniforms are horrible. "Coca-Cola" in Coke's trademarked font emblazoned across the back in place of the player's name ? Come on. Baseball fans (all sports fans, pro and amateur) are already subjected to too much advertising. Should MLB ever decide to go with player-sited ads, I will organize a boycott, not only of MLB, but any advertiser who takes advantage of this kind of blunder.
Why I'm Happy Today
Not only is it just 59 days till Opening Day, but I see the BMets new hitting coach is John Valentin. Hot dog.
Why I'm Happy Today
Not only is it just 59 days till Opening Day, but I see the BMets new hitting coach is John Valentin. Hot dog.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Signs of Spring
The countdown is well into the single digits, only 64 days to Opening Day. Pitchers and catchers report in a mere two-and--half weeks. (Someone asked me why Pitchers and Catchers Report is such an important holiday on the Baseball Geek's calendar; I told her it's like Ash Wednesday, the first day of the long period that leads directly to the Big Day.)
Last Thursday evening I popped the Special Red Sox Edition with Extended Ending DVD of Fever Pitch into the DVD player, watched it again Friday evening, and now I'm primed to Think Baseball.
I'll also be Talkin' Baseball soon. Sent out the first ping to members of my fantasy league to see who's interested in another round. This will be our 7th season. Got seven yesses so far (out of a possible 12) and lapsed member who says he's sitting out one more season but expects to be back for season #8. (Yeah, I know as a Red Sox fan I should think Yaz when I see the number 8, but loving catchers the way I do I have to think Bill Dickey.)
Met with my mentor yesterday and we spent a good portion of the appointment talking baseball. He, of course, is a Red Sox fan and turns out he was at the late season Binghmaton game when Anibel Sanchez was pitching. We talked about Theo and Coco Crisp and pitching prospects, and a little about my program so that we could fill out my next contract. (I had been asked, when it was first announced that Theo was returning to Boston, what I thought he would be doing. I said director of player development until they can ease him back in as GM. Looks like they skipped that cumbersome step. Thank Mays.)
One of the things I had to do for this appointment was write a paper on baseball literature for credit by evaluation. I spent an entire Saturday, 13 hours straight, writing A Brief Survey of Baseball Literature, a 24 page paper. I pulled a lot of it from the lecture I do on baseball lit for the Baseball in American Cultural course, put it on paper and expanded on certain areas, but I kept thinking, "Oh, that's another book I should have included, where can I add it to the paper?". Considering I have baseball books filling (or at least taking up a majority of) seven bookcases in four different rooms, not including the ones that are stacked on the floor next to my bed and ringing my desk chair, this paper is only the tip of the baseball lit iceberg.
When I picked up my mocha this morning Go Coco! was inscribed on my cup. R was working the other window, but that never stood in the way of baseball talk.
Last Thursday evening I popped the Special Red Sox Edition with Extended Ending DVD of Fever Pitch into the DVD player, watched it again Friday evening, and now I'm primed to Think Baseball.
I'll also be Talkin' Baseball soon. Sent out the first ping to members of my fantasy league to see who's interested in another round. This will be our 7th season. Got seven yesses so far (out of a possible 12) and lapsed member who says he's sitting out one more season but expects to be back for season #8. (Yeah, I know as a Red Sox fan I should think Yaz when I see the number 8, but loving catchers the way I do I have to think Bill Dickey.)
Met with my mentor yesterday and we spent a good portion of the appointment talking baseball. He, of course, is a Red Sox fan and turns out he was at the late season Binghmaton game when Anibel Sanchez was pitching. We talked about Theo and Coco Crisp and pitching prospects, and a little about my program so that we could fill out my next contract. (I had been asked, when it was first announced that Theo was returning to Boston, what I thought he would be doing. I said director of player development until they can ease him back in as GM. Looks like they skipped that cumbersome step. Thank Mays.)
One of the things I had to do for this appointment was write a paper on baseball literature for credit by evaluation. I spent an entire Saturday, 13 hours straight, writing A Brief Survey of Baseball Literature, a 24 page paper. I pulled a lot of it from the lecture I do on baseball lit for the Baseball in American Cultural course, put it on paper and expanded on certain areas, but I kept thinking, "Oh, that's another book I should have included, where can I add it to the paper?". Considering I have baseball books filling (or at least taking up a majority of) seven bookcases in four different rooms, not including the ones that are stacked on the floor next to my bed and ringing my desk chair, this paper is only the tip of the baseball lit iceberg.
When I picked up my mocha this morning Go Coco! was inscribed on my cup. R was working the other window, but that never stood in the way of baseball talk.
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