The purist in me does not like a lot of the new sports in the Winter Olympic Games. These include the aerobatics, and snowboarding (and possibly mogul skiing). Maybe it's just my age. I've lived long enough to see the entire Winter Olympic history, although admittedly not payed attention to every incidence.
It's not that I'm adverse to change. These sports are judged along the same lines as figure skating. Clearly they involve a lot of dedication and athleticism to develop skill and mastery. It makes for good television too. My ambiguity about these sports is perhaps a lack of history. They were developed within the age of wild technological innovation. Boarding grew out of surfing, a sport I liked while growing up partly in San Diego.
I started skiing when I was 10 years old in Alaska. Kept at it throgh my teens by way of a fortuitous move to Bavaria at 15, and became a competetive downhill and giant slalom racer. By 18, I was a fearless, but somewhat reckless speedster. A crash injury during a practice run for a race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen pretty much ended my dream of making my way to the world stage. Jean Claude Kily broke a leg that same year, but went on to gold in the Olympics a few years later.
Alas, I digress from a defense of purity preservation. So much surrounding these new sports seems driven by personality, as if they developed out of the reality TV trend. My theory is is that an ocean surfer decided to take the fin(s) off a sufboard an ski down a slope, much like some Norweigian that accidentaly discovered he could fly by leaning foreward while skiing too fast over a clif by leaning forward.
I might be wrong. I might be right.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Throwing Stones
There are a couple sports involving stones (and rocks) that attract my interest. Hill bowling (which I invented), and the 500 year old stone-pushing sport of curling.
Curling seems a very genteel sport for the players, not so much for observers. I like gliding sports. You can read about rules, equipment and scoring here. Some have described it as chess on ice. Early versions used flat bottomed river rocks. I like games without the need for expensive equipment. It was designated an official Winter Olympics event in 1998. Demonstration games in the 1920's were retroactively awarded medals by the "Committee" retroactively. Players are expected to call their own fouls; a superb expectation, elevating the sport beyond the need for close refereeing.
Hill Bowling was an accidental sport invented in the summer of 1979, while walking with a friend in a Baja California Sur canyon. We were resting above a dry river bed, talking importantly about art, while casually tossing rocks down the canyon. One toss hit a junked car with pretty interesting acoustics. We both graduated to larger rocks and began rolling them down the hill, musing that perhaps this was evolving into a game of sorts. Naturally, we developed a scoring scheme: one point for metal, 3 points for the much rarer breaking glass. We never kept score, nor played again. Should you ever find yourself above a rogue dump with a supply of rocks and stones, think of David and Ken, and the game only played once 30 years ago.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Season Wrap
I suppose it's about time to wrap the season and put it to bed. Actually, I should have done this sometime in September. My season was a wash. It was June before I watched a full broadcast, largely depending on Baseball Tonight for season's progress.
It's possible to reconstruct a game fairly accurately by comparing the line and box scores. Most newspapers outside major markets don't waste the column inches though. This season, as with most, was all about who can beat the Yankees? One by one the prospects fell. Towards the end I thought the Dodgers would be an interesting match, if only because of Joe Torre, not to mention all that historic rivalry between the two teams.
My other great disappointment with the World Series is the broadcast team. Joe Buck is flat, and clearly not that interested in baseball. Fox is actually superb at the technical coverage, but shouldn't be allowed top take cameras on the field during the games. We don't need that POV of the home run trot from third to home.
Only 4 months until spring training.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Biggest Butt in Baseball
The BBB is a fan statistic. It's an idle statistic invented by a woman from Minnesota, where the unofficial Hall of Fame record holder played. Doesn't Major League Baseball want to marked its product to women? Attribution will be revealed if/when it is mentioned on-air on ESPN's Baseball Tonight or Sports Center.
Only getting a few late inning Rangers games listening on the radio this season, so my qualifications for nomination are not great. Pitchers seem to be the most likely candidates. Don't think we'll see position players like Kirby Pluckett or Tony Gwynn again, excepting Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder a few years from now.
From what I've seen so far, my nominations are C C Sabathia and Carlos Zambrano.
Only getting a few late inning Rangers games listening on the radio this season, so my qualifications for nomination are not great. Pitchers seem to be the most likely candidates. Don't think we'll see position players like Kirby Pluckett or Tony Gwynn again, excepting Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder a few years from now.
From what I've seen so far, my nominations are C C Sabathia and Carlos Zambrano.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Many the Great
Off Base is more than a little behind the news cycle, but judging by visitor statistics, no one is relying on me for breaking news.
Biggest news over the past few weeks was that Manny Ramirez was suspended from playing in the next 50 Dodger games for chemically balancing his estrogen level. I'm starting to entertain an idea mentioned recently by Daniel Schorr. Legalize performance enhancing drugs in professional sports and let the freak show run wild.
Biggest news over the past few weeks was that Manny Ramirez was suspended from playing in the next 50 Dodger games for chemically balancing his estrogen level. I'm starting to entertain an idea mentioned recently by Daniel Schorr. Legalize performance enhancing drugs in professional sports and let the freak show run wild.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Good Grief A-Roid
Firstly, pardon the visual mess of the blog layout. It's a work in progress.
Broken news announced that MLB is looking at the accuracy of A-Rod's statements about his steroid use. Will this be just another back and forth with lawyers, agents, and the commissioner? Likely so. Will Alex take the high ground and give full disclosure? Unlikely.
Rodriguez makes more in salary during one game than most of us earn in a year. He's not likely to fall on his sword for ethical reasons, at least until he holds all the holy achievement records in baseball. Just when we're rid of Barry Bonds a new bligh appears.
Baseball will never be the dear sport again until A-Rod resigns/retires. I can't afford good game seats anyway.
Broken news announced that MLB is looking at the accuracy of A-Rod's statements about his steroid use. Will this be just another back and forth with lawyers, agents, and the commissioner? Likely so. Will Alex take the high ground and give full disclosure? Unlikely.
Rodriguez makes more in salary during one game than most of us earn in a year. He's not likely to fall on his sword for ethical reasons, at least until he holds all the holy achievement records in baseball. Just when we're rid of Barry Bonds a new bligh appears.
Baseball will never be the dear sport again until A-Rod resigns/retires. I can't afford good game seats anyway.
Seattle Once Upon a Time
Dave Niehaus, long-time Seattle Mariners radio announcer created the A-Rod moniker. He was also the originator of the Big Unit tag for Randy Johnson, which he later regretted. He tried to shift to RJ, but the locals wouldn't have any of that.
Those were the heydays for the Mariners. They had Junior, Edgar, Bones, The Unit, A-Rod, and the bonus of being managed by Sweet Lou (Piniella). Pitching never got them all the way to the World Series, but they did manage to eliminate the Yankees once.
One of my favorite footnotes to the mid 90"s Mariners was the acquisition of closer Heathcliff Slocum, from the Boston Red Sox. The Mariners traded Jason Varitec and Derek Lowe for Slocum. One of the best or worst trades ever, depending on your allegiance. Boston fans referred to him as Heart Attack. He saved 13 games for the Mariners over 1 1/2 seasons, with a statistical WL record of 2-9. He generally put the first batter on base in relief, which was not a good pattern for a closer. He was big and intimidating. Lots of heat, as they say.
My wife, who keeps unofficial track of such things, named him one of the biggest butts in baseball (1997), on the Kirby Puckett gold standard. One might argue that Tony Gwynn or Rick Garces (El Guapo) both were sitting on that title. Heathcliff's career sadly ended 2 years after his stint with the Mariners with a line drive to the groin while pitching for the Padres. He lost a ball in the play. Off Base hopes he's happily retired in his native Jamaica.
Those were the heydays for the Mariners. They had Junior, Edgar, Bones, The Unit, A-Rod, and the bonus of being managed by Sweet Lou (Piniella). Pitching never got them all the way to the World Series, but they did manage to eliminate the Yankees once.
One of my favorite footnotes to the mid 90"s Mariners was the acquisition of closer Heathcliff Slocum, from the Boston Red Sox. The Mariners traded Jason Varitec and Derek Lowe for Slocum. One of the best or worst trades ever, depending on your allegiance. Boston fans referred to him as Heart Attack. He saved 13 games for the Mariners over 1 1/2 seasons, with a statistical WL record of 2-9. He generally put the first batter on base in relief, which was not a good pattern for a closer. He was big and intimidating. Lots of heat, as they say.
My wife, who keeps unofficial track of such things, named him one of the biggest butts in baseball (1997), on the Kirby Puckett gold standard. One might argue that Tony Gwynn or Rick Garces (El Guapo) both were sitting on that title. Heathcliff's career sadly ended 2 years after his stint with the Mariners with a line drive to the groin while pitching for the Padres. He lost a ball in the play. Off Base hopes he's happily retired in his native Jamaica.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The New York Yanktons
Baseball is good, but is it precious? Certainly the Yankees didn't anticipate that a large number of Wall Streeters wouldn't have enough disposable cash to drop a few G's to see them slug or be drubbed on a regular basis. That center field camera shot of empty seats is more than an embarrassment. It's loss.
Baseball has the longest season in major professional sports, unless you figure in tennis, which just crosses the equator and keeps going. Soccer too, I suppose. Regardless, Off base thinks we'll see a contraction of salaries soon, and hopefully ticked prices as well. The physical infrastructure has become a problem to teams.
Many great ballparks have been built over the past few decades and the public has largely shared in the cost. It's doubly a bite in the ass for fans to shell out such a chunk of cash for attending a game. American League teams have been inflating gate prices when the Yanktons are in town. Your correspondent thinks this is not in keeping with the ethics of baseball, no matter how rosy or dark the socks may be.
Sport is entertainment, and entertainment is a luxury. As a fan, my $1.50 admission to a game between Oaxaca and Veracruz close inside 1st base was just as entertaining and significant as the A's beating the crap out of the Yanktons for $14, home plate advantage.
Baseball has the longest season in major professional sports, unless you figure in tennis, which just crosses the equator and keeps going. Soccer too, I suppose. Regardless, Off base thinks we'll see a contraction of salaries soon, and hopefully ticked prices as well. The physical infrastructure has become a problem to teams.
Many great ballparks have been built over the past few decades and the public has largely shared in the cost. It's doubly a bite in the ass for fans to shell out such a chunk of cash for attending a game. American League teams have been inflating gate prices when the Yanktons are in town. Your correspondent thinks this is not in keeping with the ethics of baseball, no matter how rosy or dark the socks may be.
Sport is entertainment, and entertainment is a luxury. As a fan, my $1.50 admission to a game between Oaxaca and Veracruz close inside 1st base was just as entertaining and significant as the A's beating the crap out of the Yanktons for $14, home plate advantage.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Good Bye Steve
Steve Wallis gave me a very public opportunity to rant about all that is wrong with sport. I know he would have preferred Off Base to cover local sports, as that was always a hole in the paper that took his time away from other stories. That's why the photos were so large in the sports section, and sometimes my banner was HUGE!.
Some long-time readers may recall my first column written as a foreign sports writer in Mexico, where I forged a Vernal Express press pass and gained entry to the clubhouse in Oaxaca. Steve didn't know what he had consented to when he allowed me free reign to write this periodic column. To his credit, he never censored this odd work. We met infrequently, as I lived in Rangely. He would mostly shake his head and smile when we met. I think he liked it.
We once discussed my fee, with him telling me that he paid Bill O'Reilly $15 per column. I submitted an invoice after a dozen columns charging $18. The check dutifully came. Perhaps it meant that it was in fact more valuable than just occupying a few column inches a week during baseball season. I am forever grateful for the venue.
I obviously didn't make my living writing for the Vernal Express, as some folks do. Vernal has lost an important citizen. Others have lost a husband, father, friend, and employer. Steve sacrificed a lot for the paper. Off Base hopes that you don't lose your newspaper too.
Ken Langston, Amarillo, TX
Powered by Qumana
Saturday, August 19, 2006
What Now?
Hello Reader
Off Base has been in the DL for quite some time, to the point that he thinks his reader has given up entirely. Here's the skinny.
The World Baseball Classic was the best baseball mash-up ever. It's been difficult to get engaged in the regular season after such a celebration of tyhe sport. Base has also changed day jobs. It was the equivalent of being called up to the show from single A. It was also an 800 mile move, and a huge arguement with U-Haul about pulling one of their trailers behind a Budget truck. Even the drop-off agent commented "that's just wrong".
It hasn't been a difficult adjustment switching regional home teams from the Rockies to the Rangers. Base has never had an American League team, unless living in Portland and following the Mariners counts. That was in the era of Randy Johnson, A-Rod, Griffey Jr, et al, so it might have happened regardless of my domicile.
The most interesting thing about this season is whether Detroit can reall pull it off.
Powered by Qumana
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Play Ball!
At long last baseball season is starting. We might be able to set aside scandals and investigations in our collective minds and enjoy some games. Maybe not though. The commissioner has suddenly discovered his soul, or something resembling it. More likely he’s trying to avoid another trip to Capitol Hill where the congressional committee pushed him around like so much fluff last year, while looking into performance enhancing drug use in baseball.
It’s really too late for Selig to do anything meaningful about the Steroid Era. The feeling on this side of the word processor is that he’s trying to clean up his legacy as commissioner. It’s too late for Bud to salvage any personal integrity in the matter. Like trying to withdraw from a war, you can’t ignore the body count.
One theory goes that franchise owners allowed this to happen by design. Baseball is a mild sport. By the mid to late 90’s attendance was falling off. Owners, including Bud Selig, who during the time of his interim appointment as acting commissioner owned the Milwaukee Brewers, made adjustments to the game towards increasing action. They sought to speed up the games, and adjusted the strike zone tolerances (knees to nipples). When a few trainers introduced weight training, everything changed. At first we were led to believe that the balls were juiced and bats were corked, thereby explaining the sudden rise in offence on equipment. Fans loved seeing balls fly completely out of the ballpark and smashing windshields in the expensive preferred parking zones.
There can be very few innocents in this matter. The most innocent are the players that chose not to enhance their physical performance through engineered chemicals. Baseball is not a brute sport. A baseball athlete needs a variety of skills to succeed. It requires thinking and situational reaction as much as fielding skills and batting strength.
There are very few secrets within a team. Owners, managers, and players had to know, so Base suggests that there was organizational collusion in the matter. It’s a don’t ask, don’t tell situation. Selig may be right to try his investigation toward making an ethical correction in the conduct of this sport. He won’t get much cooperation from players, because the union will defend them from any real jeopardy. It will serve as a course correction for the sport, and perhaps a future commissioner will be able to sort this all out in terms of a before and after scenario.
This is a good thing, as left unchained, Barry Bonds would eventually hit a home run out of the (corporate name here) San Francisco ballpark during the 2010 season that would land across the bay on the pitchers mound in Oakland. Alternately, Base predicts that Barry will finish just a bit short of Hank Aaron’s home run record this season, but well beyond Babe Ruth. Argue me at Off.Base@gamail.com .
It’s really too late for Selig to do anything meaningful about the Steroid Era. The feeling on this side of the word processor is that he’s trying to clean up his legacy as commissioner. It’s too late for Bud to salvage any personal integrity in the matter. Like trying to withdraw from a war, you can’t ignore the body count.
One theory goes that franchise owners allowed this to happen by design. Baseball is a mild sport. By the mid to late 90’s attendance was falling off. Owners, including Bud Selig, who during the time of his interim appointment as acting commissioner owned the Milwaukee Brewers, made adjustments to the game towards increasing action. They sought to speed up the games, and adjusted the strike zone tolerances (knees to nipples). When a few trainers introduced weight training, everything changed. At first we were led to believe that the balls were juiced and bats were corked, thereby explaining the sudden rise in offence on equipment. Fans loved seeing balls fly completely out of the ballpark and smashing windshields in the expensive preferred parking zones.
There can be very few innocents in this matter. The most innocent are the players that chose not to enhance their physical performance through engineered chemicals. Baseball is not a brute sport. A baseball athlete needs a variety of skills to succeed. It requires thinking and situational reaction as much as fielding skills and batting strength.
There are very few secrets within a team. Owners, managers, and players had to know, so Base suggests that there was organizational collusion in the matter. It’s a don’t ask, don’t tell situation. Selig may be right to try his investigation toward making an ethical correction in the conduct of this sport. He won’t get much cooperation from players, because the union will defend them from any real jeopardy. It will serve as a course correction for the sport, and perhaps a future commissioner will be able to sort this all out in terms of a before and after scenario.
This is a good thing, as left unchained, Barry Bonds would eventually hit a home run out of the (corporate name here) San Francisco ballpark during the 2010 season that would land across the bay on the pitchers mound in Oakland. Alternately, Base predicts that Barry will finish just a bit short of Hank Aaron’s home run record this season, but well beyond Babe Ruth. Argue me at Off.Base@gamail.com .
Friday, March 17, 2006
Itchy & Scratchy Go Bonzo
Suddenly there’s no shortage of baseball news and controversy.
Your correspondent has a preseason ritual of noting how many players named Martinez and Hernandez are in camps at the start of every season. They are 16 and 20 respectively.
Tommy Lasorda, former player and former long-time manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the World Baseball Classic in Japan. After wheeling his pitching arm like a windmill as he approached the mound, Lasorda threw it into the ground about 10 feet in front of him, bouncing it toward the foul line between home and third base. There was no small irony in this, as Lasorda famously ruined several good arms while managing the Dodgers (Hirscheiser, Valenzuela, and Nomo).
The World Baseball Classic is a good idea, but wrongly placed. Spring training is the wrong setting for showcasing such an event. Baseball players hone their skills over a season and play at their highest skill at the end of the season in October. Base thinks that moving the Classic to December or January would be a better idea. It would require moving the games closer to, or south of the equator. This would encourage training during the off-season, and give baseball purists motivation to travel outside their comfort region. They could attach themselves to baseball and perhaps appreciate a cultural change of scenery. This would also provide a meaningful distraction from a meaningless sport extravaganza that looms every late January.
Baseball players generally do their best work within a 10-year bracket. Without chemical fuel, most players are done when the early grey hair or receding hairlines start showing up in their mid 30’s. Pitchers do last longer, because they only do hard work once or twice a week.
Barry Bonds is in camp trying to repair his image and to play one more season on a knee without cartilage. Look for a season where he has no triples, few doubles, and about 25 home runs in limited appearances, if he plays a season at all. Since Base didn’t intend on publishing this week (3/8), the breaking news about Barry will have some time to develop over the week. What everyone had suspected about his chemical inflation appears to be true. Even Jose Canseco seems somewhat vindicated. You’ll recall his book Juiced set off a Congressional investigation about steroid use among baseball players. The two biggest casualties so far are Rafael Palmiero and Sammy Sosa, neither of whom was able to find a team this season.
By account, Bonds was using about 5 different steroidal compounds since 1998, including one developed for muscle development in cattle, according to excerpts from the book Game of Shadows, written by 2 San Francisco Chronicle sportswriters . Around the Giants clubhouse he was referred to as “The Incredible Hulk”, so dramatic was the change to his physique. Bonds flatly denies he has done anything illegal, chemically speaking. Baseball was not testing for steroid use during this period. Aside from the public opinion perception of this technicality, his real immediate trouble might be with the IRS. His mistress claims he gave her $81,000 in cash (from signing baseballs) to buy a condo in Phoenix. Giants’ fans (and teammates) seem unbothered by any of this. The Giants official website makes no reference to the allegations.
Is Base the only one noticing the resemblance between Bud Selig and Bill Gates?
Baseball Commissioner Selig met with Bonds last week and indicated through a spokesperson that he will meet with the slugger again within the next few days to discuss the allegations. Selig seems to get a rash anytime he’s dealt confrontation. He is both Itchy and Scratchy in this case. He’s indicated his preference for a root canal procedure over his next meeting with Bonds. The Commissioner has appointed a committee to whom he presumably will assign chapter-reading assignments when the book is released on Friday.
So readers, what should be done? Bonds has never tested positive for steroids, and in fact they were probably not illegal in baseball during his heaviest juicing period. Expecting him to do the right thing for the sake of the integrity of the game is unlikely to produce the desired ethical solution. He has shown that public opinion is not something that has any influence on his decision making process in the past. Should he pass Ruth and Aaron on the all-time home run list, is it valid? Should there be one of these * after his statistic? Is this as serious as Pete Rose betting on baseball?
Base hopes that the WBC becomes more meaningful. Baseball has latently become a 3rd tier sport, behind football and basketball. Baseball season lasts longer than any other organized sport at 6 ½ months. Well, maybe basketball does have a longer season, when you include the play-offs, which base considers a 2nd season within the season. The WBC is a fan favorite. It’s something to cheer about at off.base@gmail.com .
Your correspondent has a preseason ritual of noting how many players named Martinez and Hernandez are in camps at the start of every season. They are 16 and 20 respectively.
Tommy Lasorda, former player and former long-time manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the World Baseball Classic in Japan. After wheeling his pitching arm like a windmill as he approached the mound, Lasorda threw it into the ground about 10 feet in front of him, bouncing it toward the foul line between home and third base. There was no small irony in this, as Lasorda famously ruined several good arms while managing the Dodgers (Hirscheiser, Valenzuela, and Nomo).
The World Baseball Classic is a good idea, but wrongly placed. Spring training is the wrong setting for showcasing such an event. Baseball players hone their skills over a season and play at their highest skill at the end of the season in October. Base thinks that moving the Classic to December or January would be a better idea. It would require moving the games closer to, or south of the equator. This would encourage training during the off-season, and give baseball purists motivation to travel outside their comfort region. They could attach themselves to baseball and perhaps appreciate a cultural change of scenery. This would also provide a meaningful distraction from a meaningless sport extravaganza that looms every late January.
Baseball players generally do their best work within a 10-year bracket. Without chemical fuel, most players are done when the early grey hair or receding hairlines start showing up in their mid 30’s. Pitchers do last longer, because they only do hard work once or twice a week.
Barry Bonds is in camp trying to repair his image and to play one more season on a knee without cartilage. Look for a season where he has no triples, few doubles, and about 25 home runs in limited appearances, if he plays a season at all. Since Base didn’t intend on publishing this week (3/8), the breaking news about Barry will have some time to develop over the week. What everyone had suspected about his chemical inflation appears to be true. Even Jose Canseco seems somewhat vindicated. You’ll recall his book Juiced set off a Congressional investigation about steroid use among baseball players. The two biggest casualties so far are Rafael Palmiero and Sammy Sosa, neither of whom was able to find a team this season.
By account, Bonds was using about 5 different steroidal compounds since 1998, including one developed for muscle development in cattle, according to excerpts from the book Game of Shadows, written by 2 San Francisco Chronicle sportswriters . Around the Giants clubhouse he was referred to as “The Incredible Hulk”, so dramatic was the change to his physique. Bonds flatly denies he has done anything illegal, chemically speaking. Baseball was not testing for steroid use during this period. Aside from the public opinion perception of this technicality, his real immediate trouble might be with the IRS. His mistress claims he gave her $81,000 in cash (from signing baseballs) to buy a condo in Phoenix. Giants’ fans (and teammates) seem unbothered by any of this. The Giants official website makes no reference to the allegations.
Is Base the only one noticing the resemblance between Bud Selig and Bill Gates?
Baseball Commissioner Selig met with Bonds last week and indicated through a spokesperson that he will meet with the slugger again within the next few days to discuss the allegations. Selig seems to get a rash anytime he’s dealt confrontation. He is both Itchy and Scratchy in this case. He’s indicated his preference for a root canal procedure over his next meeting with Bonds. The Commissioner has appointed a committee to whom he presumably will assign chapter-reading assignments when the book is released on Friday.
So readers, what should be done? Bonds has never tested positive for steroids, and in fact they were probably not illegal in baseball during his heaviest juicing period. Expecting him to do the right thing for the sake of the integrity of the game is unlikely to produce the desired ethical solution. He has shown that public opinion is not something that has any influence on his decision making process in the past. Should he pass Ruth and Aaron on the all-time home run list, is it valid? Should there be one of these * after his statistic? Is this as serious as Pete Rose betting on baseball?
Base hopes that the WBC becomes more meaningful. Baseball has latently become a 3rd tier sport, behind football and basketball. Baseball season lasts longer than any other organized sport at 6 ½ months. Well, maybe basketball does have a longer season, when you include the play-offs, which base considers a 2nd season within the season. The WBC is a fan favorite. It’s something to cheer about at off.base@gmail.com .
Monday, December 19, 2005
Government Plays Ball
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 ?
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 ?
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?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
