My good friend Foul Ball and I were eagerly anticipating the World Classic. Then the bad news arrived. The US Treasury Department issued a statement last Tuesday, excluding the Cuban National team from playing in the World Baseball Classic next March, stating that the existing embargo "prohibits entering into contracts in which Cuba or Cuban nationals have an interest."
Some fans may recall the exhibition games Baltimore orchestrated between the Orioles and Cuba in 1999. Orioles owner Peter Angelos worked with the Clinton administration for 3 years to coordinate those 2 games. One was played in Baltimore and the other in Havana. The letter of the law states that Cuba may not receive financial benefit through their participation. In the case of the ’99 exhibition games the Orioles donated proceeds and equipment to athletic programs in both countries. To their credit, the Orioles left cases of baseballs and about a dozen duffle bags stuffed with batting helmets, gloves, and catcher’s gear.
Angelos is uncertain that the current administration will alter its position. Major League Baseball, the sponsor and organizer of the World Classic is reapplying to the Office of Foreign Assets Control on behalf of the Cuban team, emphasizing that Cuba will not receive monetary considerations for their participation, unlike every other team. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig had no public comment, perhaps still stunned from his appearance at the congressional hearings on MLB steroid policy.
Alternates for Cuba might be Nicaragua or Columbia. Okay, but hardly a substitute for Cuba. In 2005 there were 22 players of Cuban descent in the major leagues (and 2 umpires). 150 Cuban born players have played in Major League Baseball. It’s remarkable for a country with a population equivalent to a large US city (11 million). If the embargo is designed to overthrow a dictator, it’s not working. He’s outlasted every president since Dwight Eisenhower (9 and counting).
The list of communist countries is pretty small these days, down to 5. One of these countries is our #1 economic trading partner (China). Another produces most of the popular Nike gear so many people are fond of wearing (Vietnam). North Korea poses a theoretical threat that could spin and undo all polite society. That leaves Laos and Cuba to round out our cold war enemy list. US citizens can obtain visas and travel to Laos, but not legally to Cuba for the past 46 years.
According to the Cuban Interior Ministry there have been 637 assassination attempts by the US on Fidel Castro. The US and Cuba signed a lease for a military base in Guantanamo Bay in 1934. It is the oldest military base outside the United States. Our government sends a US Treasury voucher in the sum of $4,035 per year as a lease payment. Fidel Castro has never cashed these checks.
Maybe baseball is the answer to world peace, or possibly at least a hemispheric one. Letting Cuba play is a small thing. Base has personally witnessed the power of a poor country’s team achieving success on the international stage. A winning home team generates pride, not because of or for their political leaders, but rather the community it creates. When a Denver or Salt Lake City team wins a game it is felt well into the hinterlands as some sort of puzzling regional pride. We actually have no real impact on the results as fans, except for having been taxed for building a stadium venue and paying admission to the games. Oh, and buying overpriced souvenirs made in China or Vietnam, and subjecting ourselves to more advertising towards purchasing more things from the sponsors.
We can really hold a grudge. Perhaps time for some benevolence and good will at off.base@gmail.com ?
Monday, December 19, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Baseball Casserole
Just when you thought you were done with this fish wrap of a column, and baseball news in general, along comes The World Baseball Classic, probably something fitting in between Olympic baseball and the World Series. Major League Baseball describes the series as: “The World Baseball Classic is an unprecedented baseball event that will feature many of the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories for the first time ever. This tournament will give fans around the world a chance to see baseball in an exciting and compelling new format.”
This is a pretty cool thing for baseball fans, especially since the venues are fairly accessible to North American fans. US sites include Orlando, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Anaheim, and San Diego.
There are 16 teams that will play in 4 pools that lead to a final series at PETCO Park in San Diego.
Pool A: Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China
Pool B: USA, Canada, Mexico, South Africa
Pool C: Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba, Netherlands
Pool D: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Australia, Italy
This has potential to be a lot of fun, although mostly for players and ESPN (although no broadcasting contract has been announced). The great thing is that participating players will be subject to Olympic style drug testing. Look for the new trim and fit players to be revealing physiques sans anabolic steroids. A fully 20 lbs. lighter Barry Bonds, who has indicated his interest in playing for USA.
In other baseball news, a report that Hideke Matsui (aka Godzilla) travels with a huge pornography collection. Also, the Yankee management is unhappy about A-Rod keeping company with professional poker players and participating in high stakes games.
Florida Marlins season ticket holders are seeking refunds after management sold off all their marquee players. Boston too is beginning to sell off some high priced high maintenance players. Manny Ramirez is seeking a trade to someplace where he isn’t recognized on the streets. Anaheim seems a likely destination if they can work out his $57 million salary for the next 3 years. Longtime fan favorite Giants first baseman JT Snow was put on waivers, and Sammy Sosa is without a team, being released unconditionally by Baltimore. Rumors are that Miguel Tejada is really disappointed by Orioles poor team performance, and wants out. The Texas Rangers released long-time member of the Off Base Hall of Shame Kenny Rogers and has negotiated a new 2-year deal with Detroit, not Colorado as predicted and hoped for in this space.
The Astros released Roger Clemens from binding arbitration after he was unwilling to decide if he wanted to renew his contract with Houston. He is free to talk with other teams, and has indicated interest in The Baseball Classic.
Too many trades and rumors to talk about right now. Almost every team will have a new look in 2006. It’s good for the salary men, and offers some hope for 2nd tier teams that they may be able to crack .500 next season. It’s confounding for traditionalists though. Every year teams have new looks (talent), not through cultivation necessarily, but through buying power ($$,$$$,$$$). Good teams are now pretty much dependent on their media market share.
Base will not bother you again until March when The World Classic debuts, unless he hears from Fidel Castro at off.base@gmail.com
This is a pretty cool thing for baseball fans, especially since the venues are fairly accessible to North American fans. US sites include Orlando, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Anaheim, and San Diego.
There are 16 teams that will play in 4 pools that lead to a final series at PETCO Park in San Diego.
Pool A: Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China
Pool B: USA, Canada, Mexico, South Africa
Pool C: Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba, Netherlands
Pool D: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Australia, Italy
This has potential to be a lot of fun, although mostly for players and ESPN (although no broadcasting contract has been announced). The great thing is that participating players will be subject to Olympic style drug testing. Look for the new trim and fit players to be revealing physiques sans anabolic steroids. A fully 20 lbs. lighter Barry Bonds, who has indicated his interest in playing for USA.
In other baseball news, a report that Hideke Matsui (aka Godzilla) travels with a huge pornography collection. Also, the Yankee management is unhappy about A-Rod keeping company with professional poker players and participating in high stakes games.
Florida Marlins season ticket holders are seeking refunds after management sold off all their marquee players. Boston too is beginning to sell off some high priced high maintenance players. Manny Ramirez is seeking a trade to someplace where he isn’t recognized on the streets. Anaheim seems a likely destination if they can work out his $57 million salary for the next 3 years. Longtime fan favorite Giants first baseman JT Snow was put on waivers, and Sammy Sosa is without a team, being released unconditionally by Baltimore. Rumors are that Miguel Tejada is really disappointed by Orioles poor team performance, and wants out. The Texas Rangers released long-time member of the Off Base Hall of Shame Kenny Rogers and has negotiated a new 2-year deal with Detroit, not Colorado as predicted and hoped for in this space.
The Astros released Roger Clemens from binding arbitration after he was unwilling to decide if he wanted to renew his contract with Houston. He is free to talk with other teams, and has indicated interest in The Baseball Classic.
Too many trades and rumors to talk about right now. Almost every team will have a new look in 2006. It’s good for the salary men, and offers some hope for 2nd tier teams that they may be able to crack .500 next season. It’s confounding for traditionalists though. Every year teams have new looks (talent), not through cultivation necessarily, but through buying power ($$,$$$,$$$). Good teams are now pretty much dependent on their media market share.
Base will not bother you again until March when The World Classic debuts, unless he hears from Fidel Castro at off.base@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
What's in a Name
Been a while since I visited here. Had to do a little search to find my blog, and in the process found another Off Base. Actually a group of folks writing about baseball, politics and intersection. Maybe I'll see about joining them, and we can all be ignored in one place!
Find link here http://off-base.blogspot.com/ or click on title above.
Find link here http://off-base.blogspot.com/ or click on title above.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Wrap
I’m just slightly compelled to put the news up, since I was a day late posting the column. Sox sweep the Astros, winning the final game 1-0. You could see all the gas had run out of Houston fans by early innings when the Astros kept putting runners on base and not being able to push anyone home. Pretty much the Houston story during the entire series.
The White Sox did just enough throughout the series.
Pitching was most of the story this series. Hitting and scoring would have made it all more exciting, but alas we’ll have to wait until next spring for any more of that stuff.
Base will try and make a few hits soon covering winter ball. Stay tuned.
The White Sox did just enough throughout the series.
Pitching was most of the story this series. Hitting and scoring would have made it all more exciting, but alas we’ll have to wait until next spring for any more of that stuff.
Base will try and make a few hits soon covering winter ball. Stay tuned.
Exit Strategy
Well sport fan (and you know who I mean), the end is near. What started as a fluke and a bit of fun has moved readers at geologic speed into a dialogue about things that are silly, bad, and good about sports in our time. Alas, except for you dear reader, the bait was not taken. Is fishing a sport or a North American version of meditation?
The Houston Chicago World Series is a huge disappointment for Fox Network. Best outcome is always an east coast verses west coast team. The two biggest markets (LA NY) is a broadcaster dream. High interest markets and sheer population numbers mean more money from advertising revenues. Chicago is no longer the second city, LA is. Chicago ranks 3rd, followed by Houston. Some would say this is a second tier World Series. Certainly true among those that set advertising rates. Real fans will watch, read, and talk during this run-up. They’ll form new alliances, find a new favorite, and most of all enjoy the games. There has been high drama in the first 2 games between these likeable teams. Well, maybe Pierzinski isn’t that likeable.
The column tried to provide a national perspective in our regional context. We’ve all ended up living here by birth, habit, fluke or choice. Newspapers like The Express provide us with news of the region, state, and in the case of Off Base columns a wide context for facts, opinion and news. It has not gone unnoticed that Bill O’Riely columns also appear here. We don’t compete, except for value. Base doesn’t have a big head, so would generally not be considered in the same division as Bill. Base admits to spinning.
Finding ways to make this interesting to readers is difficult. Being outside any baseball market might mean there are few baseball fans to read these missives (even though they’re not all about baseball). Base has provided numerous venues for readers to respond and participate, albeit digital. The Blog is located at the web site http://offbaseport.blogspot.com/ and of course the infamous email address at the end of each column. A blog is a web site that allows readers to further the dialog and contribute their ideas to the stories. It’s a form of citizen journalism. Base had even dreamt of guest columnists developing through the interactive threads. Note to editor!
This World Series, and the run-up, has been full of magical, heroic, and controversial moments. It has been spun every which way except for the “Black Sox” episode (1919 World Series game fixing). Aside from a few officiating mistakes by the umpires, the games have been fun, close and very engaging. There is a good mix of personal stories about veterans at the end of their careers and young rising stars. One team has never been to the World Series and the other a perennial also ran. Even the most marginal fan will find something to latch onto.
Base has decided to take himself out of the weekly line-up. Being a critic is difficult in a void (of feedback). The journalistic experience has been personally rewarding. Using homemade press credentials to gain access to the clubhouse and dugout in Oaxaca Mexico was a high point. Man on a mission, but without the nod from The Vernal Express (TVE) it would not have been possible.
A less formal (and shorter, more opinionated) version of Off Base will be posted to the Off Base Blog on an irregular basis. When Base is moved by an idea worthy of a column during the dry (winter baseball) season, or just annoyed, he will submit for publication here in TVE. Sports curmudgeons are encouraged to post to the blog, or even compete for the column space void created by the self-imposed exile.
So, to you my dear reader a challenge: If the hit counter reaches 50 I will consider it a vote of confidence and get back to rakish critical comment and digging for obscure connections in the nexus of professional sport.
Snow during (if) game 7 at Off.Base@gnail.com
The Houston Chicago World Series is a huge disappointment for Fox Network. Best outcome is always an east coast verses west coast team. The two biggest markets (LA NY) is a broadcaster dream. High interest markets and sheer population numbers mean more money from advertising revenues. Chicago is no longer the second city, LA is. Chicago ranks 3rd, followed by Houston. Some would say this is a second tier World Series. Certainly true among those that set advertising rates. Real fans will watch, read, and talk during this run-up. They’ll form new alliances, find a new favorite, and most of all enjoy the games. There has been high drama in the first 2 games between these likeable teams. Well, maybe Pierzinski isn’t that likeable.
The column tried to provide a national perspective in our regional context. We’ve all ended up living here by birth, habit, fluke or choice. Newspapers like The Express provide us with news of the region, state, and in the case of Off Base columns a wide context for facts, opinion and news. It has not gone unnoticed that Bill O’Riely columns also appear here. We don’t compete, except for value. Base doesn’t have a big head, so would generally not be considered in the same division as Bill. Base admits to spinning.
Finding ways to make this interesting to readers is difficult. Being outside any baseball market might mean there are few baseball fans to read these missives (even though they’re not all about baseball). Base has provided numerous venues for readers to respond and participate, albeit digital. The Blog is located at the web site http://offbaseport.blogspot.com/ and of course the infamous email address at the end of each column. A blog is a web site that allows readers to further the dialog and contribute their ideas to the stories. It’s a form of citizen journalism. Base had even dreamt of guest columnists developing through the interactive threads. Note to editor!
This World Series, and the run-up, has been full of magical, heroic, and controversial moments. It has been spun every which way except for the “Black Sox” episode (1919 World Series game fixing). Aside from a few officiating mistakes by the umpires, the games have been fun, close and very engaging. There is a good mix of personal stories about veterans at the end of their careers and young rising stars. One team has never been to the World Series and the other a perennial also ran. Even the most marginal fan will find something to latch onto.
Base has decided to take himself out of the weekly line-up. Being a critic is difficult in a void (of feedback). The journalistic experience has been personally rewarding. Using homemade press credentials to gain access to the clubhouse and dugout in Oaxaca Mexico was a high point. Man on a mission, but without the nod from The Vernal Express (TVE) it would not have been possible.
A less formal (and shorter, more opinionated) version of Off Base will be posted to the Off Base Blog on an irregular basis. When Base is moved by an idea worthy of a column during the dry (winter baseball) season, or just annoyed, he will submit for publication here in TVE. Sports curmudgeons are encouraged to post to the blog, or even compete for the column space void created by the self-imposed exile.
So, to you my dear reader a challenge: If the hit counter reaches 50 I will consider it a vote of confidence and get back to rakish critical comment and digging for obscure connections in the nexus of professional sport.
Snow during (if) game 7 at Off.Base@gnail.com
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
When Umpires Play Ball
Teh he! One can be glib when a prediction comes true, even if it’s only half of one. It’s difficult to write breaking news for a weekly newspaper, but here we go anyway.
Dateline Saturday: Astros win game 3 and lead the series 2-1. White Sox go up 3 games to 1 with a rout of the Angels by a score of 8 to 2. The Angels can’t catch a break with two controversial umpire calls going against them in separate games.
The Astros are proving a long held theory in baseball that good pitching beats good hitting. This year Houston ranked 11th in the number of runs scored (687). St. Louis scored 798, ranking 3rd behind Philadelphia and Cincinnati. This season there were 4,592 aggregate runs scored in MLB. Houston had nearly 1,000 fewer hits during the season than St. Louis. Am I boring you with statistics? How about this: The Cardinals have no personality. They are boring in spite of their winning ways. They are the NL version of the Yankees.
Dateline Sunday: Chicago White Sox are in! Houston gets another squeaker!
The Chicago White Sox are a 2nd tier team statistically in almost every category except winning. They last went to the World Series in 1959. Last time they won was 1917. There are a few fans alive that saw it.
Base tries to suggest meaning in to all things baseball, but really the team that is playing the best baseball next week will advance to the World Series. If we were looking only at offense statistics and sifting totals this year the Cubs or Reds and Red Sox or Rangers would be playing each other in the World Series.
In spite of who is playing best at any given time, we see that officiating can have a huge impact on games. We can’t actually say that a bad call gave a game or series to a team, but this year it has created “opportunities” that actually went against teams that lost.
Like the teams in the post-season, only the best umpires make it to the play-offs and World Series. They are the 3rd team in any game. We viewers have a lot of advantage in having more than one angle on any given call. Largely the umpires only have one angle and chance to make the call immediately. Statistically (that again), it generally averages out in the end. The Angels might disagree, but it’s pretty clear that the White Sox were the better team in that series. Base likes it when the Black & Blue team gets together on field to discuss a call. They usually get it right. Cameras shouldn’t officiate.
Dateline Monday: Heartbreaker in Houston in the top of the 9th, but a questionable strike zone may have cost St. Louis game 4 on Sunday. Baseball averaged it out as the Cards broke hearts and extended the series for another game (or 2) in Bush Stadium. Someone always wins in baseball. It’s all still very good right now in Houston, St. Louis, Chicago, and in pockets across the country for that matter. At the very least there are 5 games left, and maybe even 9. Sorry, the numbers are so closely tied to the game Base can’t help but muse at the possibilities. There’ll be snow soon enough, bats will be stored, and this column space will become irregular at best. Football has always intruded on the end of the baseball season. Basketball begets football, and what of hockey?
Dateline Tuesday: Maybe this breaking news journal isn’t such a good idea after all.
The park in Chicago favors St. Louis as the NL challenger. It’s big, and the Cardinals are a big hitting team. Houston’s success hinges a lot on playing half their games in the Juice Box.
Houston, we have a problem at off.base@gmail.com
Dateline Saturday: Astros win game 3 and lead the series 2-1. White Sox go up 3 games to 1 with a rout of the Angels by a score of 8 to 2. The Angels can’t catch a break with two controversial umpire calls going against them in separate games.
The Astros are proving a long held theory in baseball that good pitching beats good hitting. This year Houston ranked 11th in the number of runs scored (687). St. Louis scored 798, ranking 3rd behind Philadelphia and Cincinnati. This season there were 4,592 aggregate runs scored in MLB. Houston had nearly 1,000 fewer hits during the season than St. Louis. Am I boring you with statistics? How about this: The Cardinals have no personality. They are boring in spite of their winning ways. They are the NL version of the Yankees.
Dateline Sunday: Chicago White Sox are in! Houston gets another squeaker!
The Chicago White Sox are a 2nd tier team statistically in almost every category except winning. They last went to the World Series in 1959. Last time they won was 1917. There are a few fans alive that saw it.
Base tries to suggest meaning in to all things baseball, but really the team that is playing the best baseball next week will advance to the World Series. If we were looking only at offense statistics and sifting totals this year the Cubs or Reds and Red Sox or Rangers would be playing each other in the World Series.
In spite of who is playing best at any given time, we see that officiating can have a huge impact on games. We can’t actually say that a bad call gave a game or series to a team, but this year it has created “opportunities” that actually went against teams that lost.
Like the teams in the post-season, only the best umpires make it to the play-offs and World Series. They are the 3rd team in any game. We viewers have a lot of advantage in having more than one angle on any given call. Largely the umpires only have one angle and chance to make the call immediately. Statistically (that again), it generally averages out in the end. The Angels might disagree, but it’s pretty clear that the White Sox were the better team in that series. Base likes it when the Black & Blue team gets together on field to discuss a call. They usually get it right. Cameras shouldn’t officiate.
Dateline Monday: Heartbreaker in Houston in the top of the 9th, but a questionable strike zone may have cost St. Louis game 4 on Sunday. Baseball averaged it out as the Cards broke hearts and extended the series for another game (or 2) in Bush Stadium. Someone always wins in baseball. It’s all still very good right now in Houston, St. Louis, Chicago, and in pockets across the country for that matter. At the very least there are 5 games left, and maybe even 9. Sorry, the numbers are so closely tied to the game Base can’t help but muse at the possibilities. There’ll be snow soon enough, bats will be stored, and this column space will become irregular at best. Football has always intruded on the end of the baseball season. Basketball begets football, and what of hockey?
Dateline Tuesday: Maybe this breaking news journal isn’t such a good idea after all.
The park in Chicago favors St. Louis as the NL challenger. It’s big, and the Cardinals are a big hitting team. Houston’s success hinges a lot on playing half their games in the Juice Box.
Houston, we have a problem at off.base@gmail.com
Thursday, October 13, 2005
The Big Wind-Up
Last time we visited here there were 10 teams in contention for the playoffs. As the column begins Monday night the Red Sox, Braves, and Padres are gone. The Angels are within a game of eliminating the Yankees. Widget says 5-2 Angels, bottom of the 5th with two baserunners.
Most teams will have a new look to some degree in the 2006 season. Perhaps none more than Boston. Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar, and Bill Mueller are all free agents now. This means that their agents are free to entertain (market) offers from other teams. There has also been talk of a Manny Ramirez trade.
Look also for the Yankees to have a new look in 2006. They’ve made it to post season play every year since 1998, but since the 2000 season haven’t been able to close the deal. George Steinbrenner isn’t a patient man. Bernie Williams’ contract is up. He’s a little slow in center field, and doesn’t have much throwing strength left. Most other position players have performed well, if you overlook Cano’s propensity for errors. Clearly you can’t close the deal without effective pitching. Randy Johnson is no longer the fierce dominant pitcher he once was, at least on a consistent basis. The Angels shelled him out of the game in the 3rd inning last week. Alex Rodriguez? Look for some payroll adjustments next year
When to retire is always a big issue for most players. Usually it comes with the end of a contract. Others remain in the hunt for one more season. Ricky Henderson holds the record as the all time leader in stolen bases. This year he played for the San Diego Surf Dogs of the Golden Baseball League. At 46 years old, he managed only a .270 batting average and 5 home runs in 73 games. Henderson also holds an unrecognized statistic for the most first pitch leadoff home runs, two of which your correspondent witnessed in Oakland.
So how is a player informed that their athletic career is over? Self-doubt is something an athlete fights every day. Babe Ruth hit .181 in his final season. We witness many players who stay too long and are finally forced out by management. Julio Franco is about 47 years old (nobody knows for certain), and still a productive hitter for the Braves. Both Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson are in their early 40’s. Charlie Hough pitched into his late 40’s, and in his final season picked off Ricky Henderson in a steal attempt. The decision to leave on your own terms in the middle of life is a difficult one. No amount of rational reasoning, denial, or prayer seems to relieve the anxiety over leaving a career that has made you rich and famous. Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Ricky Henderson, Jerry Rice, Willie Mays, Mohammed Ali, etc. The economics of sports encourages players to hang onto what made them successful (rich) and famous too long in most cases. Base offers this bit of advice as one who has faced the career-changing dilemma to Randy, Kurt, Ricky, Roger, Bernie, and all the others: Accept your age. Anything over 10 years as an elite athlete is remarkable. There are plenty of other opportunities for participation in your field for fame and accomplishment. Send your resume to Fox Sorts Net and ESPN, or perhaps just enjoy living without need off the accumulated riches of your accomplishment.
We might still see the Base prediction for the World Series, at least in part. Several weeks back his wisdom and gut said Houston vs. New York. That may not happen for several reasons. Whoever plays Chicago will win. The White Sox have been resting for a week. Good for pitchers, bad for position players and hitters. They lose their edge.
St. Louis has been resting for a week too, but they have Tony LaRussa.
Houston may already have emptied the emotional tank. 18 innings is a log time to play in the last game of the first round. It was essentially a 5 game series played out in 4 games. Do the Astros have enough juice left to get through the Cardinals? Whoever beats St. Louis wins the WS, that is unless St. Louis wins. The best team at this time will win.
That’s the only certainty at Off.Base@gmail.com
Most teams will have a new look to some degree in the 2006 season. Perhaps none more than Boston. Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar, and Bill Mueller are all free agents now. This means that their agents are free to entertain (market) offers from other teams. There has also been talk of a Manny Ramirez trade.
Look also for the Yankees to have a new look in 2006. They’ve made it to post season play every year since 1998, but since the 2000 season haven’t been able to close the deal. George Steinbrenner isn’t a patient man. Bernie Williams’ contract is up. He’s a little slow in center field, and doesn’t have much throwing strength left. Most other position players have performed well, if you overlook Cano’s propensity for errors. Clearly you can’t close the deal without effective pitching. Randy Johnson is no longer the fierce dominant pitcher he once was, at least on a consistent basis. The Angels shelled him out of the game in the 3rd inning last week. Alex Rodriguez? Look for some payroll adjustments next year
When to retire is always a big issue for most players. Usually it comes with the end of a contract. Others remain in the hunt for one more season. Ricky Henderson holds the record as the all time leader in stolen bases. This year he played for the San Diego Surf Dogs of the Golden Baseball League. At 46 years old, he managed only a .270 batting average and 5 home runs in 73 games. Henderson also holds an unrecognized statistic for the most first pitch leadoff home runs, two of which your correspondent witnessed in Oakland.
So how is a player informed that their athletic career is over? Self-doubt is something an athlete fights every day. Babe Ruth hit .181 in his final season. We witness many players who stay too long and are finally forced out by management. Julio Franco is about 47 years old (nobody knows for certain), and still a productive hitter for the Braves. Both Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson are in their early 40’s. Charlie Hough pitched into his late 40’s, and in his final season picked off Ricky Henderson in a steal attempt. The decision to leave on your own terms in the middle of life is a difficult one. No amount of rational reasoning, denial, or prayer seems to relieve the anxiety over leaving a career that has made you rich and famous. Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Ricky Henderson, Jerry Rice, Willie Mays, Mohammed Ali, etc. The economics of sports encourages players to hang onto what made them successful (rich) and famous too long in most cases. Base offers this bit of advice as one who has faced the career-changing dilemma to Randy, Kurt, Ricky, Roger, Bernie, and all the others: Accept your age. Anything over 10 years as an elite athlete is remarkable. There are plenty of other opportunities for participation in your field for fame and accomplishment. Send your resume to Fox Sorts Net and ESPN, or perhaps just enjoy living without need off the accumulated riches of your accomplishment.
We might still see the Base prediction for the World Series, at least in part. Several weeks back his wisdom and gut said Houston vs. New York. That may not happen for several reasons. Whoever plays Chicago will win. The White Sox have been resting for a week. Good for pitchers, bad for position players and hitters. They lose their edge.
St. Louis has been resting for a week too, but they have Tony LaRussa.
Houston may already have emptied the emotional tank. 18 innings is a log time to play in the last game of the first round. It was essentially a 5 game series played out in 4 games. Do the Astros have enough juice left to get through the Cardinals? Whoever beats St. Louis wins the WS, that is unless St. Louis wins. The best team at this time will win.
That’s the only certainty at Off.Base@gmail.com
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Things to do at the park
What do you do when your team hasn’t contended for years, and perhaps you have the sorry distinction of having provided your former team owner as Commissioner of Baseball? Open the gates of the stadium to everyone for the last game of the season and let everyone in free. Milwaukee ranks about in the middle of attendance at home games (2,176,669), 18th overall, and about 65% of sell-out capacity. It’s no surprise that the Yankees and Dodgers (well maybe this is surprising) are numbers 1 and 2 in attendance. The Yankees pull in 87% of stadium capacity for season home games. The best percentages are in Chicago (Cubs) 98%, and Boston at 97%. It’s no surprise that both Florida teams and Kansas City occupy the bottom.
There were no no-hit games in 2005, and only 3-20 game winners.
There were only about 10 teams remotely in contention for the post-season last week, but all 30 teams continue playing to win. Base has attended quite a few of these so-called meaningless games in September. One late September night Base saw Vida Blue pitch his last major league game at Candlestick Park. Night game fans in the left field bleacher seats that managed to weather a complete game were periodically rewarded with the Croix de Candlestick. A cheap medal envied, but unobtainable by those that could afford the box seats.
Sport promotion is an unusual and (low-paying) demanding job. Entice the fans to come to the park. Giveaways make you feel better about spending $12 - $50 for mediocre seats to a game. Base likes his games a little above and beyond 3rd base, but often takes a roaming approach. Modern parks are designed to discourage this though. Field levels have a lot of security now, since they cater to corporate reserves. Third base side offers a lot of foul ball opportunities statistically, and is a good place to talk about baseball during the game. You can focus on the action when there is real scoring opportunity. Behind first base you have to pay a lot more attention to the action. Outfield seats are also good for conversations, but the view and perspective is more general. The ballet of movement during a play is much more evident from the outfield. Defensive moves in any given situation become clear to the observer. Players drill for situations, as do the cameramen. There is actually a manual for camera operators which tells them (for instance) that with one out and a runner on 2nd base, a hit to the outfield will likely involve action of interest at 3rd or home plate.
Older folks may recall the most famous unfortunate promotion in sports history (June ’74). a 10-cent Beer Night at Municipal Stadium filled to capacity. It got ugly quickly. By the 5th inning a riot broke out. Visiting team outfielders were continuously doused with beer from the start. A few ugly actions by the visiting Texas Rangers against the hometown Indians incited the crowd. Fans (?) were throwing everything portable onto the field, and finally spilled onto the field themselves. The Rangers had to rescue their left fielder during the 9th inning brawl. The umpires finally ruled the game a forfeit by Cleveland. Players, crews and umpires ran for their lives. Ironically, the Rangers (formerly the Washington Senators) were the last team to forfeit a game, as fans seeking souvenirs from the departing team ripped out everything that wasn’t bolted down, and finally poured out onto the field. Base gives equal blame to sport fans for bad behavior.
Fortunately baseball is a fairly genteel sport. Players do get seriously injured in the course of play, and in one instance an umpire died during a game. During the opening game of the 1995 season, umpire John McSherry collapsed and died behind home plate in Cincinnati. Statistics on umpires reveal that the average lifespan of an umpire is 67.77 years among deceased umpires. The youngest death age is 35, and the oldest 95. The average career length of major league umpires is 9.30 years (lowest 5 and longest 37). McSherry’s death was attributed to lack of conditioning (heart attack). He was fat. The day was hot.
No players have died on field, or as a direct result of a baseball injury. One of the most dramatic examples of career ending injuries was Dave Dravecky, with the San Francisco Giants. During the 10th year of his career as a major league pitcher he was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his right shoulder. He recovered from surgery to remove the tumor. Remarkably he was medically approved to resume his career as a pitcher with the Giants. During his second start his arm separated from is shoulder, literally held only by strands of tissue, ligament, and jersey.
Most career diminishing or ending injuries involve pitchers being hit in the head by batted balls. A 90 mph fastball travels at 132 feet per second. This means that it arrives at home plate in about .5 seconds. The hit ball travels at about the same speed (or faster) back to the pitching mound. This means the whole transaction happens in about a second. Videotape is recorded and transmitted at 30 frames per second. That’s more than enough to provide you with the illusion of full motion. Film is captured at 24 frames per second, also enough to suggest to human optics a smooth illusion. What we actually see on TV is the position of the ball once every 2 feet as it travels to the plate. What clever microphone and camera placement do we anticipate from Fox as they take over post-season coverage this year?
There were no no-hit games in 2005, and only 3-20 game winners.
There were only about 10 teams remotely in contention for the post-season last week, but all 30 teams continue playing to win. Base has attended quite a few of these so-called meaningless games in September. One late September night Base saw Vida Blue pitch his last major league game at Candlestick Park. Night game fans in the left field bleacher seats that managed to weather a complete game were periodically rewarded with the Croix de Candlestick. A cheap medal envied, but unobtainable by those that could afford the box seats.
Sport promotion is an unusual and (low-paying) demanding job. Entice the fans to come to the park. Giveaways make you feel better about spending $12 - $50 for mediocre seats to a game. Base likes his games a little above and beyond 3rd base, but often takes a roaming approach. Modern parks are designed to discourage this though. Field levels have a lot of security now, since they cater to corporate reserves. Third base side offers a lot of foul ball opportunities statistically, and is a good place to talk about baseball during the game. You can focus on the action when there is real scoring opportunity. Behind first base you have to pay a lot more attention to the action. Outfield seats are also good for conversations, but the view and perspective is more general. The ballet of movement during a play is much more evident from the outfield. Defensive moves in any given situation become clear to the observer. Players drill for situations, as do the cameramen. There is actually a manual for camera operators which tells them (for instance) that with one out and a runner on 2nd base, a hit to the outfield will likely involve action of interest at 3rd or home plate.
Older folks may recall the most famous unfortunate promotion in sports history (June ’74). a 10-cent Beer Night at Municipal Stadium filled to capacity. It got ugly quickly. By the 5th inning a riot broke out. Visiting team outfielders were continuously doused with beer from the start. A few ugly actions by the visiting Texas Rangers against the hometown Indians incited the crowd. Fans (?) were throwing everything portable onto the field, and finally spilled onto the field themselves. The Rangers had to rescue their left fielder during the 9th inning brawl. The umpires finally ruled the game a forfeit by Cleveland. Players, crews and umpires ran for their lives. Ironically, the Rangers (formerly the Washington Senators) were the last team to forfeit a game, as fans seeking souvenirs from the departing team ripped out everything that wasn’t bolted down, and finally poured out onto the field. Base gives equal blame to sport fans for bad behavior.
Fortunately baseball is a fairly genteel sport. Players do get seriously injured in the course of play, and in one instance an umpire died during a game. During the opening game of the 1995 season, umpire John McSherry collapsed and died behind home plate in Cincinnati. Statistics on umpires reveal that the average lifespan of an umpire is 67.77 years among deceased umpires. The youngest death age is 35, and the oldest 95. The average career length of major league umpires is 9.30 years (lowest 5 and longest 37). McSherry’s death was attributed to lack of conditioning (heart attack). He was fat. The day was hot.
No players have died on field, or as a direct result of a baseball injury. One of the most dramatic examples of career ending injuries was Dave Dravecky, with the San Francisco Giants. During the 10th year of his career as a major league pitcher he was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his right shoulder. He recovered from surgery to remove the tumor. Remarkably he was medically approved to resume his career as a pitcher with the Giants. During his second start his arm separated from is shoulder, literally held only by strands of tissue, ligament, and jersey.
Most career diminishing or ending injuries involve pitchers being hit in the head by batted balls. A 90 mph fastball travels at 132 feet per second. This means that it arrives at home plate in about .5 seconds. The hit ball travels at about the same speed (or faster) back to the pitching mound. This means the whole transaction happens in about a second. Videotape is recorded and transmitted at 30 frames per second. That’s more than enough to provide you with the illusion of full motion. Film is captured at 24 frames per second, also enough to suggest to human optics a smooth illusion. What we actually see on TV is the position of the ball once every 2 feet as it travels to the plate. What clever microphone and camera placement do we anticipate from Fox as they take over post-season coverage this year?
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Winding Down to Spring
This week we find New Orleans in the rinse cycle and about 2 million people on the road fleeing hurricane Rita. Sport goes on as usual though, with just some delays and relocations. Perhaps thinking is that people in misery and flight need the distraction of men in tight colorful pants running up and down the field.
Base is crushed that the Yankees are in first place again. A few tools assist with the writing of these columns. There’s a scrolling widget on this computer that tells me that the Yankees are now leading 4 - 0 against Toronto, batting in the bottom of the 7th, one out, runner on first, and the count is 2 and 1. The Red Sox are leading Baltimore 4-3 in the top of the 6th. Baseball has figured out a lot of ways to communicate with its fans. Maybe it’s simply the fact that fans can actually carry on a conversation during a game, or have it on in the background while doing other things. Yankees have runners on 1st and 2nd now.
Barry Bonds is back, and hitting home runs. Writers (and fans) can be glib when they’re right about projections, and can say, “Oh well” when not. Why is it that we can’t love Barry and recognize his achievement and acknowledge his skills? Last week Bonds threw down the race card. Could it really be that we fans and (white) sportswriters are racist? Base can’t speak for everyone else, but no, that doesn’t play here. Perhaps it’s the petulance, the tax evasion, the mistress, or the questions about his physical transformation over the last decade. Base is an equal opportunity critic: Jason Giambi, Kenny Rogers, and Rafael Palmiero.
Speaking of Raffi, he publicly blamed a teammate, Miguel Tejada, for slipping him a mickey and causing him to fail a steroid test, thereby ending his career in disgrace. Anyone who saw the video of him at the Senate Hearings would have thought that he would explode out of that custom tailored suit at any moment to reveal a big S on his chest.
Widget says: BOS 6 BAL 3, and NYY 5 TOR 0 (final).
Base doesn’t want to hedge his bets (nor encourage sports betting), but thinks that a “Rollerball” series might not be so bad. Rollerball, the original movie, not the pathetic nearly made-for-TV remake would be a good match-up. Set in a futuristic world run by The Corporation. Rollerball is a game loosely patterned on roller derby. It plays out on an oval track with players on skates and motorcycles. Add medieval uniforms, spiked gauntlets and a heavy steel ball launched from a catapult in the opposite direction and you begin to get the feel of the game.
The movie depicts a world completely controlled by The Corporation wherein workers must recognize the futility of glory. Women are considered little more than a reward given successful managers. Casual use of narcotics is viewed as a minor acceptable evil. Our hero Jonathan (James Caan) has become a sport hero. He is an accomplished and fair player in the late stage of his career, and has become an admired (adulated) sports hero. The Corporation wants him to retire. He doesn’t want to leave on those terms. The Corporation doesn’t want heroes in this entertainment venue. This already violent sport undergoes a rule change designed to allow his elimination lethally. The championship game: Houston vs. New York. Who Knew James Caan could skate so well?
Okay, it’s a stretch. Widget says Astros 4 Cubs 5, final.
Wild card teams consistently make it to the big showdown, but seldom from both leagues at once.
Further along the emotional tenets of predictions the long shot of a Houston championship chance, facing insurmountable odds scenario is that in Base’s perfect prediction world there would be much emotional joy (if only for s few moments) in the darkest of times. There’s always baseball, and hope for 9 innings and for a couple hours.
Jonathan! Jonathan! at off.baase@gmail.com
Rent the movie and see why.
Tuesday Update: With 5 days left in the regular season only one division title has been decided.
Base is crushed that the Yankees are in first place again. A few tools assist with the writing of these columns. There’s a scrolling widget on this computer that tells me that the Yankees are now leading 4 - 0 against Toronto, batting in the bottom of the 7th, one out, runner on first, and the count is 2 and 1. The Red Sox are leading Baltimore 4-3 in the top of the 6th. Baseball has figured out a lot of ways to communicate with its fans. Maybe it’s simply the fact that fans can actually carry on a conversation during a game, or have it on in the background while doing other things. Yankees have runners on 1st and 2nd now.
Barry Bonds is back, and hitting home runs. Writers (and fans) can be glib when they’re right about projections, and can say, “Oh well” when not. Why is it that we can’t love Barry and recognize his achievement and acknowledge his skills? Last week Bonds threw down the race card. Could it really be that we fans and (white) sportswriters are racist? Base can’t speak for everyone else, but no, that doesn’t play here. Perhaps it’s the petulance, the tax evasion, the mistress, or the questions about his physical transformation over the last decade. Base is an equal opportunity critic: Jason Giambi, Kenny Rogers, and Rafael Palmiero.
Speaking of Raffi, he publicly blamed a teammate, Miguel Tejada, for slipping him a mickey and causing him to fail a steroid test, thereby ending his career in disgrace. Anyone who saw the video of him at the Senate Hearings would have thought that he would explode out of that custom tailored suit at any moment to reveal a big S on his chest.
Widget says: BOS 6 BAL 3, and NYY 5 TOR 0 (final).
Base doesn’t want to hedge his bets (nor encourage sports betting), but thinks that a “Rollerball” series might not be so bad. Rollerball, the original movie, not the pathetic nearly made-for-TV remake would be a good match-up. Set in a futuristic world run by The Corporation. Rollerball is a game loosely patterned on roller derby. It plays out on an oval track with players on skates and motorcycles. Add medieval uniforms, spiked gauntlets and a heavy steel ball launched from a catapult in the opposite direction and you begin to get the feel of the game.
The movie depicts a world completely controlled by The Corporation wherein workers must recognize the futility of glory. Women are considered little more than a reward given successful managers. Casual use of narcotics is viewed as a minor acceptable evil. Our hero Jonathan (James Caan) has become a sport hero. He is an accomplished and fair player in the late stage of his career, and has become an admired (adulated) sports hero. The Corporation wants him to retire. He doesn’t want to leave on those terms. The Corporation doesn’t want heroes in this entertainment venue. This already violent sport undergoes a rule change designed to allow his elimination lethally. The championship game: Houston vs. New York. Who Knew James Caan could skate so well?
Okay, it’s a stretch. Widget says Astros 4 Cubs 5, final.
Wild card teams consistently make it to the big showdown, but seldom from both leagues at once.
Further along the emotional tenets of predictions the long shot of a Houston championship chance, facing insurmountable odds scenario is that in Base’s perfect prediction world there would be much emotional joy (if only for s few moments) in the darkest of times. There’s always baseball, and hope for 9 innings and for a couple hours.
Jonathan! Jonathan! at off.baase@gmail.com
Rent the movie and see why.
Tuesday Update: With 5 days left in the regular season only one division title has been decided.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Trivializing Baseball
How about a few obscure statistics to drop on your friends at the next game? You’ll stun them I’m certain.
What is the percentage of MLB players born outside the US?
29.2%. The 30 clubs include 242 foreign born players on their 25 man rosters. The Washington Nationals have the most with 16 from 6 different countries. The Dominican Republic has the most players in MLB with 91, followed by Venezuela (45), and Puerto Rico (34). The foreign born players are from 15 countries.
Which active player has hit the most doubles?
With 600 doubles ranked 13th all-time, Craig Biggio stands a good chance of surpassing Hank Aaron (9th) and Carl Yastrimski (7th) on the all-time list, but probably doesn’t have enough seasons left as an athlete to catch Tris Speaker who hit 792 over his career.
What about that rarest of hits: the triple?
Base thinks that no active player (or those to come) will ever approach the all-time record, and very few will even break into the top 100 list. Steve Finley has 112, and Kenny Lofton has 97 and are the two highest among active players. Sam Crawford played from 1899-1917 and hit 309 triples. Second is Ty Cobb with 297. The only active player of note with the possibility of penetrating the top 100, is Johnny Damon, but only if he hits well for a really long time.
HBP
This is an odd category. Is it really an accomplishment to be repeatedly be hit by a pitch? Hughie Jennings who played from 1891-1918 holds the record (287 times). Craig Biggio is closing in, on track to pass this record after being plunked 272 times over 18 years. This dubious record has not gone unnoticed by umpires, and sometimes he is not awarded 1st base after being hit, so his black and blue career total is actually higher. If in the judgment of the umpire a batter makes no attempt to avoid a pitched ball and gets struck by it, the umpire will call it a ball or strike as usual. Biggio ranks 29th all-time for plate appearances (at bats): 9735.
As usual, writers focus on offensive statistics mostly, but half the game is always played in defensive positions. Baseball is the only ball sport where the offense never gets to touch the ball (except with wood). So, how about some obscure defensive statistics?
The Unassisted Triple Play
There have been 7 in all the seasons of baseball (MLB). Two 1st basemen, two 2nd basemen, and three shortstops have executed this feat. The circumstances are always the same. Base runners are on 1st and 2nd with no outs and an infielder catches a line drive. The order beyond this changes a little, but involves tagging one runner between bases and stepping on a base before the other runner returns. Randy Velardi performed the last one 5/29/00. Just plain regular triple plays are less infrequent. There were 9 in 1925, 7 in 1991. There are usually a few every year, but none in 1961. There have been 659 triple plays in MLB since 1876. In ’90 the Minnesota Twins converted two of these in a single game against the Red Sox, and lost 1-0.
The Perfect Game
The modern definition pf a perfect game is one in which no batter reaches base. It requires 27 consecutive outs. It’s happened 15 times, first by Cy Young and the most recent in 2004 by Randy Johnson. Something your fountain of statistics didn’t realize is that Kenny Rogers pitched one in 1994. How the mighty have fallen!
On June 23,1917 Babe Ruth was pitching and walked the fist batter. Ruth was so enraged he went after the umpire, trying to strike him. After he was ejected Ernie Shore came on to replace Ruth. The runner was picked off trying to steal, and Shore retired the next 26 batsmen.
In 1959 Harvey Haddix pitched a perfect game through 12 innings, losing the game in the 13th. There are many sad stories like this, but as we all know, “there’s no crying in baseball.”
You can send beer to off.base@gmail.com
What is the percentage of MLB players born outside the US?
29.2%. The 30 clubs include 242 foreign born players on their 25 man rosters. The Washington Nationals have the most with 16 from 6 different countries. The Dominican Republic has the most players in MLB with 91, followed by Venezuela (45), and Puerto Rico (34). The foreign born players are from 15 countries.
Which active player has hit the most doubles?
With 600 doubles ranked 13th all-time, Craig Biggio stands a good chance of surpassing Hank Aaron (9th) and Carl Yastrimski (7th) on the all-time list, but probably doesn’t have enough seasons left as an athlete to catch Tris Speaker who hit 792 over his career.
What about that rarest of hits: the triple?
Base thinks that no active player (or those to come) will ever approach the all-time record, and very few will even break into the top 100 list. Steve Finley has 112, and Kenny Lofton has 97 and are the two highest among active players. Sam Crawford played from 1899-1917 and hit 309 triples. Second is Ty Cobb with 297. The only active player of note with the possibility of penetrating the top 100, is Johnny Damon, but only if he hits well for a really long time.
HBP
This is an odd category. Is it really an accomplishment to be repeatedly be hit by a pitch? Hughie Jennings who played from 1891-1918 holds the record (287 times). Craig Biggio is closing in, on track to pass this record after being plunked 272 times over 18 years. This dubious record has not gone unnoticed by umpires, and sometimes he is not awarded 1st base after being hit, so his black and blue career total is actually higher. If in the judgment of the umpire a batter makes no attempt to avoid a pitched ball and gets struck by it, the umpire will call it a ball or strike as usual. Biggio ranks 29th all-time for plate appearances (at bats): 9735.
As usual, writers focus on offensive statistics mostly, but half the game is always played in defensive positions. Baseball is the only ball sport where the offense never gets to touch the ball (except with wood). So, how about some obscure defensive statistics?
The Unassisted Triple Play
There have been 7 in all the seasons of baseball (MLB). Two 1st basemen, two 2nd basemen, and three shortstops have executed this feat. The circumstances are always the same. Base runners are on 1st and 2nd with no outs and an infielder catches a line drive. The order beyond this changes a little, but involves tagging one runner between bases and stepping on a base before the other runner returns. Randy Velardi performed the last one 5/29/00. Just plain regular triple plays are less infrequent. There were 9 in 1925, 7 in 1991. There are usually a few every year, but none in 1961. There have been 659 triple plays in MLB since 1876. In ’90 the Minnesota Twins converted two of these in a single game against the Red Sox, and lost 1-0.
The Perfect Game
The modern definition pf a perfect game is one in which no batter reaches base. It requires 27 consecutive outs. It’s happened 15 times, first by Cy Young and the most recent in 2004 by Randy Johnson. Something your fountain of statistics didn’t realize is that Kenny Rogers pitched one in 1994. How the mighty have fallen!
On June 23,1917 Babe Ruth was pitching and walked the fist batter. Ruth was so enraged he went after the umpire, trying to strike him. After he was ejected Ernie Shore came on to replace Ruth. The runner was picked off trying to steal, and Shore retired the next 26 batsmen.
In 1959 Harvey Haddix pitched a perfect game through 12 innings, losing the game in the 13th. There are many sad stories like this, but as we all know, “there’s no crying in baseball.”
You can send beer to off.base@gmail.com
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Lucky 13
Once I was a sports fan, and now I am mostly not. So why does your anonymous columnist bother to write in this genre, readers might ask? Off Base thinks some compulsive readers actually do read the column and a few actually look forward to its appearance each Wednesday. A dozen or so friends subscribe to the column and get it electronically.
Likewise, a few local friends read it in the paper. What most of them have in common is they follow baseball to some degree. Some do not at all, and are decidedly not sports fans by any measure. Base thinks his base does not read the sports section. This is problematic to some degree. It’s also problematic that some readers of this column apparently do not have email accounts either, as Base panders reader feedback.
Small town life does not preclude one from having or expressing opinions. This is something your columnist encounters every day. Clues to the Base identity can be found at the Off Base blog (here), where the columns and other opinion can be found. Harder news that just doesn’t fit the paper.
So, back to the question, why a sport column for non-sport fans? Indeed, finding myself paying more attention to sports news than is usual, and wondering if this is a good thing, advances the question. Certainly my musings and observations seem useful to the Express editor as Base sees the column anchor the section, sometimes stretched to ¼ of the sports page real estate on those occasions when photos and stories are thin.
Sports are not particularly important in the broad spectrum of our social institutions. Certainly there is the argument that these activities teach young people lessons and the games provide us with some degree of entertainment (a lot for some). However, there is a big distinction between participating in a sport and watching one. More significantly, there is a big difference between attending an event and watching one on television. Going to an event is active and social. Watching it on TV is passive, even if you dress up in team garb, or simply watch naked.
There is no space between the news and sports sections. That middle space might actually be where this column belongs. It occurs to Base that the column would be useful to the spouse of a sports fan, containing enough grist and insider information to carry on an informed conversation with the fanatic fan of the family. Consider it a social service. At this point hand this page to your wife.
Okay, now for some baseball. Actually before we go, in honor of this 13th column, some players who have worn # 13: Wilt Chamberlian, Dan Marino, and in baseball, Dave Conception.
The Reading Red Roses (1907) are the first baseball team to experiment with uniform numbers. The 1916 Cleveland Indians are the first MLB team to wear numbers (on their sleeves). 1932 the NL president tells teams to implement numbering on uniforms. 1937 the Philadelphia A’s become the last team to comply. # 13 hasn’t been retired by any team to date. #42 is the only number fully retired by MLB (Jackie Robinson).
13 isn’t going anywhere good, so I’ll stop at off.base@gmail.com
Likewise, a few local friends read it in the paper. What most of them have in common is they follow baseball to some degree. Some do not at all, and are decidedly not sports fans by any measure. Base thinks his base does not read the sports section. This is problematic to some degree. It’s also problematic that some readers of this column apparently do not have email accounts either, as Base panders reader feedback.
Small town life does not preclude one from having or expressing opinions. This is something your columnist encounters every day. Clues to the Base identity can be found at the Off Base blog (here), where the columns and other opinion can be found. Harder news that just doesn’t fit the paper.
So, back to the question, why a sport column for non-sport fans? Indeed, finding myself paying more attention to sports news than is usual, and wondering if this is a good thing, advances the question. Certainly my musings and observations seem useful to the Express editor as Base sees the column anchor the section, sometimes stretched to ¼ of the sports page real estate on those occasions when photos and stories are thin.
Sports are not particularly important in the broad spectrum of our social institutions. Certainly there is the argument that these activities teach young people lessons and the games provide us with some degree of entertainment (a lot for some). However, there is a big distinction between participating in a sport and watching one. More significantly, there is a big difference between attending an event and watching one on television. Going to an event is active and social. Watching it on TV is passive, even if you dress up in team garb, or simply watch naked.
There is no space between the news and sports sections. That middle space might actually be where this column belongs. It occurs to Base that the column would be useful to the spouse of a sports fan, containing enough grist and insider information to carry on an informed conversation with the fanatic fan of the family. Consider it a social service. At this point hand this page to your wife.
Okay, now for some baseball. Actually before we go, in honor of this 13th column, some players who have worn # 13: Wilt Chamberlian, Dan Marino, and in baseball, Dave Conception.
The Reading Red Roses (1907) are the first baseball team to experiment with uniform numbers. The 1916 Cleveland Indians are the first MLB team to wear numbers (on their sleeves). 1932 the NL president tells teams to implement numbering on uniforms. 1937 the Philadelphia A’s become the last team to comply. # 13 hasn’t been retired by any team to date. #42 is the only number fully retired by MLB (Jackie Robinson).
13 isn’t going anywhere good, so I’ll stop at off.base@gmail.com
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Streaking Sideways Somewhere
Shall we finish with all the bad baseball news, and get on with something else?
Best Sanctimonious Freak Award: Kurt Schilling (calling out Rafael Palmiero)
Best Fall From Grace Award: Mark McGuire (Congressional testimony performance)
Runner up: Rafael Palmiero (losing his starting position on the roster)
Best Recovery Fall From Grace Award: Jason Giambi (steroids)
Best Poor Me Self Pity Award: Barry Bonds (drug testing avoidance: DL immunity)
Best Bad Behavior Award: Kenny Rogers (thuggish assault x 3)
Best Collapse: Baltimore Orioles (worst results from off-season player acquisitions)
Okay, so much for bad news awards. Off Base recently discovered that a minor league team from Salt Lake City is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1987 the Salt Lake Trappers won 29 consecutive games, which stands as a professional baseball all-time winning record. No members of the team went on to play at the major league level.
It’s unlikely that anyone will win a triple crown this year, but 6 or 7 players may hit 50 home runs. Why is this good, readers may ask? These aren’t, for the fist time in many years, chemically assisted statistics. Andruw Jones, Derek Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Adam Dunn, Russ Ortiz, & Albert Pujols are the contending leaders. Real accomplishment!
Writing a (so-called) clever sport column weekly, which wasn’t so frequently planned, is difficult in these times. Generally the concept develops Friday, is hashed out over the weekend, and updated with late-breaking relevant news by Tuesday’s afternoon deadline. This week the 35th largest city in the US was virtually tipped out of existence by a hurricane. For a bit of perspective, consider that New Orleans sits between Long Beach and Cleveland statistically. Usually sport takes a respectful hiatus during times like these, but not this time.
The New Orleans Saints (football) and Hornets (basketball) organizations have begun quiet inquiries into alternate venues. These are businesses, after all, but perhaps their continuity may be of emotional benefit to their displaced citizenry. However, your generally neutral observer and opinion generator has to ask a burning question. Was the suspension of the baseball schedule in September 2001 a respectful nod to a national tragedy, or only a logistical issue forced by the grounding of aviation?
Clearly the media has demonstrated a more efficient approach to reaching emerging hot spots than the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and the National Guard. While local and federal officials prevented the Red Cross from entering New Orleans to discourage people from staying, the media arrived to perform their work with efficient logistical preparation, while maintaining crucial communication links. In other words, they saw what was brewing (a 500 mile-wide hurricane) and simply drove their SUV’s in, set up, and got to work, something our high-level government emergency and relief agencies did not accomplish for nearly 4 days.
Base hopes that these profit/entertainment organizations (ball clubs) and their highly paid performer/athletes at the very least donate until it hurts. Marketing and public relations folk could make a significant argument simply on the basis of fan appreciation, and promote much good relief for the refugees. These folks won’t be fans at the gate anytime soon, but just might they be the reason for a franchises’ existence?
Base is impressed that sport arenas are being repurposed for humanitarian use. The Super Dome provided lifesaving emergency shelter for about 20,000 souls. These facilities usually belong to the citizens, anyway, since the public largely finances them. Major sport franchises routinely shake down the citizenry for new stadiums by threatening to leave. The People pay to build another Big Dome, and then pay $50 to get in.
Base wonders if singing ‘God Bless America’ will ever end in the 7th inning of MLB games. Send your recommendations for our new National Tragedy Theme Song to off.base@gmail.com, and hope that gas stations will not need to purchase additional 4’s for their price signage.
Best Sanctimonious Freak Award: Kurt Schilling (calling out Rafael Palmiero)
Best Fall From Grace Award: Mark McGuire (Congressional testimony performance)
Runner up: Rafael Palmiero (losing his starting position on the roster)
Best Recovery Fall From Grace Award: Jason Giambi (steroids)
Best Poor Me Self Pity Award: Barry Bonds (drug testing avoidance: DL immunity)
Best Bad Behavior Award: Kenny Rogers (thuggish assault x 3)
Best Collapse: Baltimore Orioles (worst results from off-season player acquisitions)
Okay, so much for bad news awards. Off Base recently discovered that a minor league team from Salt Lake City is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1987 the Salt Lake Trappers won 29 consecutive games, which stands as a professional baseball all-time winning record. No members of the team went on to play at the major league level.
It’s unlikely that anyone will win a triple crown this year, but 6 or 7 players may hit 50 home runs. Why is this good, readers may ask? These aren’t, for the fist time in many years, chemically assisted statistics. Andruw Jones, Derek Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Adam Dunn, Russ Ortiz, & Albert Pujols are the contending leaders. Real accomplishment!
Writing a (so-called) clever sport column weekly, which wasn’t so frequently planned, is difficult in these times. Generally the concept develops Friday, is hashed out over the weekend, and updated with late-breaking relevant news by Tuesday’s afternoon deadline. This week the 35th largest city in the US was virtually tipped out of existence by a hurricane. For a bit of perspective, consider that New Orleans sits between Long Beach and Cleveland statistically. Usually sport takes a respectful hiatus during times like these, but not this time.
The New Orleans Saints (football) and Hornets (basketball) organizations have begun quiet inquiries into alternate venues. These are businesses, after all, but perhaps their continuity may be of emotional benefit to their displaced citizenry. However, your generally neutral observer and opinion generator has to ask a burning question. Was the suspension of the baseball schedule in September 2001 a respectful nod to a national tragedy, or only a logistical issue forced by the grounding of aviation?
Clearly the media has demonstrated a more efficient approach to reaching emerging hot spots than the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and the National Guard. While local and federal officials prevented the Red Cross from entering New Orleans to discourage people from staying, the media arrived to perform their work with efficient logistical preparation, while maintaining crucial communication links. In other words, they saw what was brewing (a 500 mile-wide hurricane) and simply drove their SUV’s in, set up, and got to work, something our high-level government emergency and relief agencies did not accomplish for nearly 4 days.
Base hopes that these profit/entertainment organizations (ball clubs) and their highly paid performer/athletes at the very least donate until it hurts. Marketing and public relations folk could make a significant argument simply on the basis of fan appreciation, and promote much good relief for the refugees. These folks won’t be fans at the gate anytime soon, but just might they be the reason for a franchises’ existence?
Base is impressed that sport arenas are being repurposed for humanitarian use. The Super Dome provided lifesaving emergency shelter for about 20,000 souls. These facilities usually belong to the citizens, anyway, since the public largely finances them. Major sport franchises routinely shake down the citizenry for new stadiums by threatening to leave. The People pay to build another Big Dome, and then pay $50 to get in.
Base wonders if singing ‘God Bless America’ will ever end in the 7th inning of MLB games. Send your recommendations for our new National Tragedy Theme Song to off.base@gmail.com, and hope that gas stations will not need to purchase additional 4’s for their price signage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
