Comments (0)

By Kyle, October 23, 2011 2:40 pm

Mates of State – Desire

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

TV ratings for this year’s World Series are down, as to be expected in any year when it doesn’t include an American League team from the Bronx.

Yet the Texas Rangers v. St. Louis Cardinals matchup is proving to be a bit more exciting than I had originally anticipated.

First, in a game (and an era, really) that can be categorized as more offensively-minded than at any time in its previous history, the first two games were brilliant, low-scoring, one-run beauties in which the most subtle managerial decisions and defensive miscues grossly affected the game.

Second, even in a game that was, by all other accounts, one of the most boring I’ve seen (a 16-7 St. Louis win), the historic still has its way of rearing its head. What will be remembered was that superman Albert Pujols become only the 3rd major league player (and the first in the National League) to hit 3 home runs in a World Series game (Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson are good company to be in), and only the 2nd player to hit safely 5 times (Paul Molitor? Who’s he?).

Third, and perhaps most importantly, both teams, simply by being here demonstrate the value of perseverance, one of the most important disciplines in life (a lesson I constantly try to impart upon my students). St. Louis had lost in a World Series in 2004, to the Boston Red Sox, but not giving up, the eventually pushed their way back, two years later, and won the whole thing. The Texas Rangers made it to the World Series last year, and lost it to the upstart San Francisco Giants. But rather than going home, sulking, and getting lazy in the off-season, the Rangers worked hard to put together a winning staff for this year.

So as it stands right now, St. Louis is up 2 games to 1, with every single game seemingly to change the momentum of the series. The rest is something I look forward to watching.

Oh yes, so why am I rooting for the Rangers?

Why not?

Comments (0)

By Kyle, April 20, 2011 6:30 pm

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In the wake of today’s breaking headlines, that major league baseball is taking over the Dodgers, I’ve developed a motion for approval by the Commissioner’s office for those of us fed up with baseball mediocrity. Here it is: The Baseball Choice Motion.

********************************

Whereas, The office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB) is responsible for ensuring that baseball provides communities a high quality fan experience, which enables them to
participate in social sporting observation, familial bonding, responsible alcoholic and food consumption, tradition-building;

Whereas, While there are indications of growth in MLB teams, given the chronic athletic underperformance of a significant number of teams in MLB, businesses and
communities have expressed a strong interest in playing a more active role in ensuring that
fans have more choice and access to baseball games;

Whereas, Several teams require immediate attention and creative reform
efforts, under strategies identified and authorized by the office of the Commissioner, in order to provide an improved foundation for athletic success; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That through the Commissioner, Major League Baseball will invite
operational and athletic plans from internal and external stakeholders, such as players, managers, third-base coaches, parking attendants, concession stand operators, home and opposing fans, uniform manufacturing companies, and hockey organizations who are interested in collaborating with MLB to operate baseball’s underperforming organizations (as identified by the Commissioner and authorized by his office, beginning with the Dodgers), in an effort to create more teams of choice and athletic options for the baseball’s fans and communities;

Resolved further, That MLB directs the Commissioner to work collaboratively with
appropriate stakeholder and community over the next 30 days to report back with
recommendations regarding the following:

• Identify existing reform models and/or innovations that could be implemented with underperforming teams beginning with the 2012 season, as well as previous impediments to
  implementation within MLB and strategies for overcoming these obstacles; strategies such as allowing three designated hitters, expanding the number of strikes allowed to 8, and shared pitching responsibilities among all position players should be further developed and considered;
• Identify alternative governance and contract options within MLB for underperforming teams based on models from other sports, businesses, or popular television programming; fan-manager-of-the day, fans weekly voting a player “off the island”, silent auction ticket pricing, and in-game opposing team player recruitment strategies should also be considered;

Resolved further, The Commissioner will organize a review panel (consisting of members of all stakeholders; fans, players, owners, concessioners, etc…) to thoroughly evaluate and recommend one proposal for each baseball team open to the reform efforts;

Resolved further, The aforementioned review panel and recommendation process shall in no way be considered by the board of MLB as it prepares to vote on approval of one of the team operating plans; and finally

Resolved further, Progress monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures shall be outsourced to the largest metropolitan newspaper in the respective regions.

*********************************************************************************

Explosions in the Sky – Your Hand In Mine

Comments (1)

By Kyle, April 11, 2011 8:04 pm

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I grew up a huge baseball fan, a hobby which was encouraged by both my Dad (a Phanatic) and my step-dad (a Yankee fan), as I played in little league games, collected the cards, watched the ballgames, and, much to their dismay, adopted the Mets as my lifelong team.

One of the most interesting aspects of watching baseball games with my Dad as a kid, was hearing him tell stories about the team managers of these ballclubs when he would watch them as players. Larry Bowa, Joe Torre, and Lou Pinella could not be shown on screen without some reference to their playing days.

From my perspective, I didn’t really care. For all intents and purposes, these guys would be forever etched in my mind as managers, and nothing else.

Begin 2011, and not only has a favorite player from my childhood entered the realm of managerialdom (nice word, huh), but has done so in my town!!!

Don Mattingly is now managing the Los Angeles Dodgers, and I don’t know exactly what to do about it. I can clearly remember not only watching Mattingly play on television as a kid, but generally liking him despite his association with the Yankees.

A wise friend also pointed out to me that this is not the first of my generation’s childhood players to become managers. Joe Girardi has been managing since 2006, yet the mere distance of his teams makes the notion of this life-phase transition rather abstract. But goodness gracious. Donny baseball now works just up the street. I must be getting old.

*********************************************************************************

Radiohead – Codex

Comments (1)

By Kyle, April 9, 2011 7:57 am

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Caption: Apparently the Dodgers owner, Frank McCourt, realized that, in order to win games this year, he’ll actually need 2,000 outfielders, rather than the traditional 3.

Yeah, kind of silly, but it’s the only interesting recent photo I’ve taken and my Task List is screaming today that writing on my blog is overdue.

Discipline, Kyle. Discipline.

….post-Post bonus…

Look what I found. All these years and I’d never seen it before. I become more and more convinced that the song is deeply and subliminally cynical.

Comments (1)

By Kyle, January 11, 2011 11:34 pm

So it’s officially on. My team is that sorry, that even public radio has to start taking low blows to them whenever possible. The following clip was taken from the January 1st episode of one of my favorite programs, Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Have a listen. Less than one minute.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Comments (3)

By Kyle, July 25, 2010 4:33 pm

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Apparently there’s plenty of Mets fans in my neighborhood as evidenced by the plethora of Mets caps, jerseys, and t-shirts worn by those filling the seats at Dodger Stadium this weekend (I wore this shirt for two of the three games I attended).

And although I did have to painfully watch the Mets lose two out of three games (they also lost Thursday), I got to watch some excellent baseball, with some amazing, low-scoring, great defensively played games. But, being the ever-optimist that I am, I have faith that the Mets will turn this offensive slump around, figure out how to hit the baseball, and start winning again.

Comments (0)

By Kyle, June 9, 2010 7:46 am

Radiohead – Electioneering

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

…thanks to this guy who, in the midst of a beautifully pitched 1-0 Dodger win over the Cards last night, decided to fill out an entire stack of the All-Star ballots, often punching through 5 or 6 at a time.

If not his methods, at minimum I admire both this guy’s intent and his efficiency, however, I’ve got a feeling he’s simply trying to single-handedly vote Andre Ethier into the starting line-up, which currently looks plausible even without the extra effort on the part of superfans.

It even appears that there was more turnout for All-Star voting yesterday than regular voting in California’s primaries.

Comments (0)

By Kyle, June 3, 2010 2:51 pm

The Broken West – Perfect Games

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

As my sports-aware readers will be sure to note, last night a blown call by an umpire resulted in a missed perfect game by Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga. In the past 15 hours or so, commentary has been endless as to what should be (or even can be) done about it.

What’s clear is the classy way in which both pitcher Galarraga and umpire Jim Joyce have responded to the situation, with nothing but utter sportsmanship and poise.

The one question that still remains is whether or not baseball should have instant replay. Some have suggested that it’s time, while others say that baseball is fine without it.

What are my reader’s opinions: Baseball instant replay. Yes? or No?

Comments (0)

By Kyle, April 5, 2010 6:10 pm

John Fogerty– Put Me In Coach

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This is sadly interesting. In today’s MLB game recap of the Mets Opening Day Victory over the Florida Marlins, one of the graphics measures the number of “tweets” that Mets fans sent out during the game.

Unsurprisingly, the graph shows spikes in tweets right after scoring plays, and not much in between.

Apparently, this is what we do now. It’ll be an interesting season.