Because I need this right now, the first full team workouts in MLB are in exactly one month.
Joey Bats is officially back, and maybe more fired up than ever with something to prove to his detractors over the past couple months. Sure it would be nice to have gotten Edwin too, especially the way his market worked out, but I still have faith that the Jays can be a legitimate contender this year.
As long as Osuna isn't blocked from playing in the US by Opening Day.
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
January 18, 2017
August 25, 2015
Last Week of August
I can't be alone in wondering where this summer went, right? Add up a couple weekend getaways, a busier than normal work schedule, and putting more time than most seasons into watching baseball, with the Jays being competitive (even odds with the Cardinals and Royals right now to win outright; for what odds makers are worth). It seems like playoff ticket prices are going to be a bit silly, so, even if given the chance at them, I'm not sure I'll bite. Between needing some work on my car, having some house upkeep to take care of before the winter, and hopefully replacing my busted ass guitar amp (Marshall, you're supposed to be a mark of quality, a 9 year old amp should not fail for the limited 'rocking' I actually put it through) I don't know that I'll be able to justify the $200 per game rates.It seems like 500 Level outfield tickets might be affordable up until the World Series, should I have access to any. Having been to many games in the regular season '92-'93 campaigns, and the '91 All Star game, only a playoff game is really left on my Dome bucket list. Oh, and maybe a Monster Jam?
The 5th or 6th Annual Beer Olympics also got squeezed in the mix, with the take home message being that we're all getting a little older, and further distanced from our college/university levels of energy and stamina. Some of us learned that lesson harder than others, but thankfully it was neither Carolyn or myself, this time around.
Now the warm weather just has one or two deck parties in store and a Labour Day weekend trip to the cottage where the plan will be to focus on relaxing and having some fun, as opposed to clean up and condensing preparing for likely future sale. There will be plenty of time for that in the fall. Of course, hopefully between now and October, the Jays do their best to ruin plans of going away to the cottage in the 3rd week of October. I love AM radio broadcasts once in a while, but sure as hell not going to go without watching those games on TV. Forgive me for being such an optimist. It doesn't happen much around here.
The 5th or 6th Annual Beer Olympics also got squeezed in the mix, with the take home message being that we're all getting a little older, and further distanced from our college/university levels of energy and stamina. Some of us learned that lesson harder than others, but thankfully it was neither Carolyn or myself, this time around.
Now the warm weather just has one or two deck parties in store and a Labour Day weekend trip to the cottage where the plan will be to focus on relaxing and having some fun, as opposed to clean up and condensing preparing for likely future sale. There will be plenty of time for that in the fall. Of course, hopefully between now and October, the Jays do their best to ruin plans of going away to the cottage in the 3rd week of October. I love AM radio broadcasts once in a while, but sure as hell not going to go without watching those games on TV. Forgive me for being such an optimist. It doesn't happen much around here.
July 20, 2015
How Do You Like Them Apples?
Back from the whirlwind road trip to Baaaston and vacationing from the vacation. It was a great trip, but in my attempt to keep it a fairly compact weekend, we tried to squeeze too much sightseeing into too little time, and had to trim out some of the stuff we'd wanted to do. Amongst the cull list were a side stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, walking tours of Harvard and MIT campuses, and, though never formally planned, but a 'time filler' if we had some down time, a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery. I've learned my lesson.
We did get to see and tour Fenway which, for anyone that knows me, was the biggest check-box on the list. We opted to just do the short, 15 minute tour of the park, as stage crew were in the midst of converting the field for the weekend Foo Fighters concerts.
This was likely the closest I'll ever get to 'backstage at a rock show'. We lucked out in that it was the mini-tour guide's last shift of the day, and our group got an extra 10-15 minutes to explore, which you'd think would be a lot of time, but didn't feel like it, which was a common theme for the weekend.
Apparently the tarps laid on the outfield were breathable so as not to kill the grass, and the stage set-up was fully expected to ruin the turf in centre field, but there was no sacrificing the infield turf. There were no fewer than 6 people tasked with guarding the barriers around the infield during the show.
There was still plenty of baseball history on display. It would seem old teams with winning histories get a bit of a track record of having had some good players, managers, and staff around them.
...and this was just one of the walls of Hall of Fame plaques.
After the Fenway tour Friday, we grabbed some pints in South End, where our friends have a place, and waited to meet up with them for dinner, drinks, and to crash for the night. It was a great area, and the pub-bistro we ended up at had a fantastic selection of craft beers, albeit at some inflated prices. The inflated craft beer prices actually were another theme of the trip. Americans apparently just call any old glass full of beer 'a pint'. So, whereas if I go out at home to a place with craft taps I can expect to spend $5.50 to $7.50 CAD for a roughly 500 mL draught pint, whereas prices in Boston started at roughly $8.75 CAD and escalated quickly, and were for 330 mL 'pints'. I mean seriously, USA, you're the ones that insist on using the damned imperial system, at least know its defined volumes.
Beer prices aside, tapas dinner at Toro was fantastic.
The next morning, our hosts took us on a walking tour that covered almost the entirety of Boston proper, including a trip up to the upper floors of the John Hancock tower. Glass reflections didn't play nicely with the camera, but the view would have been tough to capture well anyway.
Boston was surprisingly walkable, granted, we did spend 5 blister inducing hours walking at a quick pace to try to see everything.
Apparently John Hancock liked to leave his mark everywhere, what a dick.
After the walking tour, we parted way with our friends, and checked in to our hotel on the Cambridge side of the Charles for a power nap before walking back over to Fenway for the Saturday Foo show. The show was totally worth the blister tearing walk, with locals The Mighty Mighty Bosstones opening in a high energy set from the band excited to play 'the park they grew up in' for the first time. The Foo Fighters were awesome, playing a full 2 hours and forty minutes straight, with some great on-stage banter, and crowd banter from Dave, with the sports-minded Bostonians frequently giving long loud 'Fooooooo' calls (think 'booo'). Highlights for me were an acoustic cover of 'My Hero', and a cover of 'Under Pressure' which they've been doing semi-regularly, from what I've seen, on this tour. The extended riffing during the solo section of 'Outside' off of Sonic Highways was also great, with Dave never really achieving the all out guitar solo he seemed to be going for, and joking after the song, "Gimme a break, I'm a drummer".
On Sunday morning, being a bit exhausted from a few days of driving and hiking around, we decided to sleep in and get on the road for home a bit early, at the expense of some of the other things we'd wanted to squeeze in to the trip. A decision that turned out for the best, hitting two different 2 hour traffic jams on the ideal 9 hour drive home. Amazingly, the border crossing was one of the faster ones I've ever experienced.
And so, after getting in late, both of us today are taking vacation from vacation, before getting back to the grind.
We did get to see and tour Fenway which, for anyone that knows me, was the biggest check-box on the list. We opted to just do the short, 15 minute tour of the park, as stage crew were in the midst of converting the field for the weekend Foo Fighters concerts.
Apparently the tarps laid on the outfield were breathable so as not to kill the grass, and the stage set-up was fully expected to ruin the turf in centre field, but there was no sacrificing the infield turf. There were no fewer than 6 people tasked with guarding the barriers around the infield during the show.
There was still plenty of baseball history on display. It would seem old teams with winning histories get a bit of a track record of having had some good players, managers, and staff around them.
...and this was just one of the walls of Hall of Fame plaques.
After the Fenway tour Friday, we grabbed some pints in South End, where our friends have a place, and waited to meet up with them for dinner, drinks, and to crash for the night. It was a great area, and the pub-bistro we ended up at had a fantastic selection of craft beers, albeit at some inflated prices. The inflated craft beer prices actually were another theme of the trip. Americans apparently just call any old glass full of beer 'a pint'. So, whereas if I go out at home to a place with craft taps I can expect to spend $5.50 to $7.50 CAD for a roughly 500 mL draught pint, whereas prices in Boston started at roughly $8.75 CAD and escalated quickly, and were for 330 mL 'pints'. I mean seriously, USA, you're the ones that insist on using the damned imperial system, at least know its defined volumes.
Beer prices aside, tapas dinner at Toro was fantastic.
The next morning, our hosts took us on a walking tour that covered almost the entirety of Boston proper, including a trip up to the upper floors of the John Hancock tower. Glass reflections didn't play nicely with the camera, but the view would have been tough to capture well anyway.
Boston was surprisingly walkable, granted, we did spend 5 blister inducing hours walking at a quick pace to try to see everything.
Apparently John Hancock liked to leave his mark everywhere, what a dick.
After the walking tour, we parted way with our friends, and checked in to our hotel on the Cambridge side of the Charles for a power nap before walking back over to Fenway for the Saturday Foo show. The show was totally worth the blister tearing walk, with locals The Mighty Mighty Bosstones opening in a high energy set from the band excited to play 'the park they grew up in' for the first time. The Foo Fighters were awesome, playing a full 2 hours and forty minutes straight, with some great on-stage banter, and crowd banter from Dave, with the sports-minded Bostonians frequently giving long loud 'Fooooooo' calls (think 'booo'). Highlights for me were an acoustic cover of 'My Hero', and a cover of 'Under Pressure' which they've been doing semi-regularly, from what I've seen, on this tour. The extended riffing during the solo section of 'Outside' off of Sonic Highways was also great, with Dave never really achieving the all out guitar solo he seemed to be going for, and joking after the song, "Gimme a break, I'm a drummer".
On Sunday morning, being a bit exhausted from a few days of driving and hiking around, we decided to sleep in and get on the road for home a bit early, at the expense of some of the other things we'd wanted to squeeze in to the trip. A decision that turned out for the best, hitting two different 2 hour traffic jams on the ideal 9 hour drive home. Amazingly, the border crossing was one of the faster ones I've ever experienced.
And so, after getting in late, both of us today are taking vacation from vacation, before getting back to the grind.
April 16, 2015
The Worst
The worst people in the 1st world:
1) NIMBYs; want their houses powered and well landscaped, want it cheap but also locally sourced, bitch to no-end when a wind farm or quarry is started within 20 km of their Xanadu.
2) Anti-vaccination'ers'; needs no explanation. If you're reading this, its probably because you've had vaccinations.
3) NIMBYs; want to consume lots of things, and toss the packaging for those things in the garbage, then move into houses next door to the place where that garbage is piled, and complain.
4) Pseudo-science hucksters; most reasonable people don't actually consult astrology anymore. But in its place, about a billion people, half of them on your Facebook feed, with the perfect aromatic or nutritional solutions to all your problems. All without any peer reviewed, reproducible evidence of efficacy to be found. That aromatic oil you're buying? Snake oil, at best (probably didn't even come from snakes, which would at least be sort of cool?)
5) NIMBYs; move into huge, new build McMansions with no backyards, but still find a way to complain about their backyards.
6) MLB home-plate umpires. The rules of the game are not your own to interpret. Stop calling the strike zone as though it was. No team bias here, watching plenty of neutral games a year, I just want to see the zone not as interpretive dance, but as a clear, concrete thing. Robots could easily do it. Don't give MLB ammunition going into your next #umpshow collective bargaining agreement.
7) NIMBYs; move in to nice new subdivisions near airports, pre-dating subdivison construction, then complain about noise from objects magically flying through sky (those things are only okay when flying to 5 day, all inclusive getaways in resort-land).
8) Politicians.
1) NIMBYs; want their houses powered and well landscaped, want it cheap but also locally sourced, bitch to no-end when a wind farm or quarry is started within 20 km of their Xanadu.
2) Anti-vaccination'ers'; needs no explanation. If you're reading this, its probably because you've had vaccinations.
3) NIMBYs; want to consume lots of things, and toss the packaging for those things in the garbage, then move into houses next door to the place where that garbage is piled, and complain.
4) Pseudo-science hucksters; most reasonable people don't actually consult astrology anymore. But in its place, about a billion people, half of them on your Facebook feed, with the perfect aromatic or nutritional solutions to all your problems. All without any peer reviewed, reproducible evidence of efficacy to be found. That aromatic oil you're buying? Snake oil, at best (probably didn't even come from snakes, which would at least be sort of cool?)
5) NIMBYs; move into huge, new build McMansions with no backyards, but still find a way to complain about their backyards.
6) MLB home-plate umpires. The rules of the game are not your own to interpret. Stop calling the strike zone as though it was. No team bias here, watching plenty of neutral games a year, I just want to see the zone not as interpretive dance, but as a clear, concrete thing. Robots could easily do it. Don't give MLB ammunition going into your next #umpshow collective bargaining agreement.
7) NIMBYs; move in to nice new subdivisions near airports, pre-dating subdivison construction, then complain about noise from objects magically flying through sky (those things are only okay when flying to 5 day, all inclusive getaways in resort-land).
8) Politicians.
April 13, 2015
Sprung
The air smells like spring. The temperatures have teased us so far, but the smell is really there now. Little nubs of grass are starting to poke through flat yellow lawns everywhere.
Everyone I talk to seems to be getting super excited about barbecue as well. I don't have the heart to tell most of them that I've barbecued weekly on average all winter long, with only January really hurting my grill patterns. But I appreciate all their enthusiasm.
The sunny, warm forecast this week has me almost even believing that work near the core of Toronto this week will be a delight, and go off without issue. No budget for hotels, or food really, but still, will be sunshine and rainbows (except for the commute, which will suck no matter what).
The Jays lost on home opener day, again. That also seems like a sure sign of spring. Of course, many Jays fans lost before the game had even begun, standing in massive lines in the rain awaiting 'security' scans which likely were about as effective as the 'scared to offend' courtesy patdowns of yesteryear, and only really effective in backing up large crowds of people outside the venue. Anyone really wanting to attack wouldn't even need to pay for admission.
A friend posted an interesting link this week on death statistics. Note in particular the comparison chart near the bottom of the article. While it seems to miss a lot of non-cancer disease, it still manages to highlight the absurdity of the emphasis we place on 'security'. I'm curious to see what, if any backlash will come out of this, or if we can just expect cavity searches next year to gain entry to ball parks. Hell, maybe if they train the staff well enough, you can build in your yearly exams at the same time. You know, bring health care and policing together in one happy place. Huge tax savings.
Right, back to spring. Breath of fresh air. Baseball. Record Store Day. Game of Thrones. There's just enough there to distract oneself.
Everyone I talk to seems to be getting super excited about barbecue as well. I don't have the heart to tell most of them that I've barbecued weekly on average all winter long, with only January really hurting my grill patterns. But I appreciate all their enthusiasm.
The sunny, warm forecast this week has me almost even believing that work near the core of Toronto this week will be a delight, and go off without issue. No budget for hotels, or food really, but still, will be sunshine and rainbows (except for the commute, which will suck no matter what).
The Jays lost on home opener day, again. That also seems like a sure sign of spring. Of course, many Jays fans lost before the game had even begun, standing in massive lines in the rain awaiting 'security' scans which likely were about as effective as the 'scared to offend' courtesy patdowns of yesteryear, and only really effective in backing up large crowds of people outside the venue. Anyone really wanting to attack wouldn't even need to pay for admission.
A friend posted an interesting link this week on death statistics. Note in particular the comparison chart near the bottom of the article. While it seems to miss a lot of non-cancer disease, it still manages to highlight the absurdity of the emphasis we place on 'security'. I'm curious to see what, if any backlash will come out of this, or if we can just expect cavity searches next year to gain entry to ball parks. Hell, maybe if they train the staff well enough, you can build in your yearly exams at the same time. You know, bring health care and policing together in one happy place. Huge tax savings.
Right, back to spring. Breath of fresh air. Baseball. Record Store Day. Game of Thrones. There's just enough there to distract oneself.
April 05, 2015
Row Over a Row
Early in the winter, I decided that a rowing machine would probably get a lot more use than our failing treadmill, and offer more of a full body workout, all while allowing me to watch a couple shows, or some sports.
In March, true to form, I finally pulled the trigger on buying a machine, well rated all across the interwebs, but a little more expensive than I might have opted for, had I not screwed up my first rough run through of my tax return. In the end though, I'm glad I paid the premium. Despite a technical issue still keeping me from logging my workouts to a flash drive properly, the company has a well organized website, a great community of users on the workout log portal, and has been very prompt and engaging in trying to work out the USB drive issue, though through an increasing e-mail chain.
Maybe its still the newness of it, but I've also managed to log my target average of 20km per week, except for the week I had the flu, despite an accelerating field work schedule. And now baseball is starting for real, which should mean easy, distracted workouts while watching games on the 'off' days.
If I keep up the pace, the machine will have paid off the equivalent of a gym membership by the time the Jays baseball season is done (in early November...instead of early September this year) and hopefully will still be whooshing right along. Hell, I might even be fit by then!
In March, true to form, I finally pulled the trigger on buying a machine, well rated all across the interwebs, but a little more expensive than I might have opted for, had I not screwed up my first rough run through of my tax return. In the end though, I'm glad I paid the premium. Despite a technical issue still keeping me from logging my workouts to a flash drive properly, the company has a well organized website, a great community of users on the workout log portal, and has been very prompt and engaging in trying to work out the USB drive issue, though through an increasing e-mail chain.
Maybe its still the newness of it, but I've also managed to log my target average of 20km per week, except for the week I had the flu, despite an accelerating field work schedule. And now baseball is starting for real, which should mean easy, distracted workouts while watching games on the 'off' days.
If I keep up the pace, the machine will have paid off the equivalent of a gym membership by the time the Jays baseball season is done (in early November...instead of early September this year) and hopefully will still be whooshing right along. Hell, I might even be fit by then!
September 08, 2008
Lets Play Ball...Just Not on TV
The Toronto Blue Jays have won 8 games in a row, the first time they've done so since the 1999 season. Three of those wins came against one of the two teams ahead of them in the wildcard race in the Minnesota Twins. Three more of them came against the division leading Tampa Bay Rays. And the remaining two wins came against the New York Yankees, who the Jays have now surpassed in the overall standings.
Winning late in the season isn't unusual around the Jays franchise, and neither is being all but mathematically out of the playoff race at this point in the season for every one since 1993. With 20 games remaining, and despite the hot streak, the Jays remain 8 games out of the playoff race. Now, whether you want to call out the MLB for having the smallest playoffs of any major pro sport, with 8 of 30 teams getting extra play; or are willing to accept life in the perennial best division in baseball, Jays management has stepped afoul of fans somehow in not having the final game of the season scheduled for TV broadcast according to the Yahoo! schedule.
Going into the season, the Jays were being sold as a true competitor for a playoff spot. And while that clearly didn't pan out with a lacklustre offensive output until things seemingly turned around with the firing of John Gibbons and hiring of throwback Cito Gaston, the Jays still find themselves playing quasi-meaningful games at the end of the season. At present, the Boston Red Sox sit 8 games ahead of the Jays, with 7 of their remaining 20 games scheduled opposing one another.
Despite all this, the final game of the season has apparently not been picked up by any of the big three Canadian sports networks for TV. This, combined with the ridiculous blackout restrictions on MLB.TV in Canada such that no Blue Jays games are available on the online package, means that a game that may infact have playoff implications will go unseen in Canada. At the end of September, not even the beloved Maple Leafs are back in season, so the reasoning behind this scheduling blunder seems unclear. Jays fans can only hope that the issue is resolved come the end of season, hopefully whether still in contention or not.
Winning late in the season isn't unusual around the Jays franchise, and neither is being all but mathematically out of the playoff race at this point in the season for every one since 1993. With 20 games remaining, and despite the hot streak, the Jays remain 8 games out of the playoff race. Now, whether you want to call out the MLB for having the smallest playoffs of any major pro sport, with 8 of 30 teams getting extra play; or are willing to accept life in the perennial best division in baseball, Jays management has stepped afoul of fans somehow in not having the final game of the season scheduled for TV broadcast according to the Yahoo! schedule.
Going into the season, the Jays were being sold as a true competitor for a playoff spot. And while that clearly didn't pan out with a lacklustre offensive output until things seemingly turned around with the firing of John Gibbons and hiring of throwback Cito Gaston, the Jays still find themselves playing quasi-meaningful games at the end of the season. At present, the Boston Red Sox sit 8 games ahead of the Jays, with 7 of their remaining 20 games scheduled opposing one another.
Despite all this, the final game of the season has apparently not been picked up by any of the big three Canadian sports networks for TV. This, combined with the ridiculous blackout restrictions on MLB.TV in Canada such that no Blue Jays games are available on the online package, means that a game that may infact have playoff implications will go unseen in Canada. At the end of September, not even the beloved Maple Leafs are back in season, so the reasoning behind this scheduling blunder seems unclear. Jays fans can only hope that the issue is resolved come the end of season, hopefully whether still in contention or not.
April 13, 2008
Hardly the Bambino
I just came across this on Yahoo Sports. A construction worker on the new Yankee stadium managed to bury a Red Sox jersey beneath some concrete in the new project.
Seriously, if there are Yankees fans dumb enough to believe in curses, especially one so arbitrary as burying the jersey of a player who likely won't even make the Hall of Fame, then they should foot the bill for a couple hours of labour to remove the offending article that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. What the hell are you going to charge the guy with?
Sure the construction company he works/worked for has grounds for dismissal cause he obviously wasn't working as hard as he could be, but criminal charges? Yankees organization, this is why people hate you. You blow a harmless prank out of proportion for no good reason. You need to get over yourselves and stop signing egocentric old men, then maybe your team wouldn't be losing out to Boston so often.
A construction worker’s bid to curse the Yankees by planting a Red Sox jersey in their new stadium was foiled Sunday when the team removed the offending shirt from its burial spot in the ballpark.
After locating the shirt in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new Yankee Stadium, construction workers jackhammered through the remaining concrete Sunday and pulled it out.
...
On Saturday, construction workers who remembered the employee—Gino Castignoli—phoned in tips about the shirt’s location.
“We had anonymous people come tell us where it was and we were able to find it,” said Frank Gramarossa, a project executive with Turner Construction, the general contractor on the site.
It took about five hours of drilling Saturday to locate the shirt under 2 feet of concrete, he said.
...
[Yankees COO, Lonn] Trost said the Yankees had discussed possible criminal charges against Castignoli with the district attorney’s office. “We will take appropriate action since fortunately we do know the name of the individual,” he said.
Seriously, if there are Yankees fans dumb enough to believe in curses, especially one so arbitrary as burying the jersey of a player who likely won't even make the Hall of Fame, then they should foot the bill for a couple hours of labour to remove the offending article that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. What the hell are you going to charge the guy with?
Sure the construction company he works/worked for has grounds for dismissal cause he obviously wasn't working as hard as he could be, but criminal charges? Yankees organization, this is why people hate you. You blow a harmless prank out of proportion for no good reason. You need to get over yourselves and stop signing egocentric old men, then maybe your team wouldn't be losing out to Boston so often.
April 06, 2008
Allan H. Selig
I got to my first Jays game of the year yesterday, and it didn't disappoint. Hilarious Boston fans who made the trip, combined with a Jays blowout, and finally catching a ball at a game after going to so many, along with quasi-t-shirt weather, made it a great trip. Hopefully I'll make it down again for at least one of the $2 games in the first few months of the season.
I learned that Bud Selig's real name is infact Allan Huber Selig by way of his signature on the ball. Who knew? What kind of name is Huber?
Walter Gretzky was also at the game for 'Brantford Day' and lived up to his reputation of being great with signing autographs for kids and other fans. He actually sat in the section next to us instead of rubbing shoulders with all the execs up in the boxes.
And on the hockey note, the standings are finally almost clear, and the pick sheet for the pool just needs a few more players slotted in. Within a couple hours (since tonight's game doesn't have any implications) I should have the sheet uploaded for everyone. Get em in ASAP!
I learned that Bud Selig's real name is infact Allan Huber Selig by way of his signature on the ball. Who knew? What kind of name is Huber?
Walter Gretzky was also at the game for 'Brantford Day' and lived up to his reputation of being great with signing autographs for kids and other fans. He actually sat in the section next to us instead of rubbing shoulders with all the execs up in the boxes.
And on the hockey note, the standings are finally almost clear, and the pick sheet for the pool just needs a few more players slotted in. Within a couple hours (since tonight's game doesn't have any implications) I should have the sheet uploaded for everyone. Get em in ASAP!
March 24, 2008
The Resurrection
Warm weather appears to be on its way back from the dead. The 14 day trend is still almost entirely below the historical average for this time of year, but I have to find satisfaction with above zero for now. Lowered expectations.The baseball season officially gets under way tomorrow in Japan. My buddy Como and I have tickets for the Saturday game of the Jays opening weekend that I'm told are on the wall in left field similar to the ones I fluked into a couple years back. All this Super Premium, Premium, Value game pricing adjustment bullshit needs to go though. What started with the occasional mid to late summer series against the Red Sox or Yankees being rated a premium game with slightly higher ticket prices has morphed into an increasing number of pricing levels and games for which the pricing isn't just some 'regular' amount. Paying 39.00 for a ticket that cost me 21.00 for opening weekend just a couple years ago is handicapped. I prefer to be called retarded.
And the injuries are already starting to add up for the Jays. Combined with manager J.P. Ricciardi's asinine move to pick-up Shannon Stewart and drop spark plug gamer Reed Johnson, all the talk about the Jays resurrection from the middle of the AL East look like another fictional anecdote to get hopes up leading to the perennial 3rd spot in the East. More lowered expectations.
But the hockey pool is coming together well enough, despite all the Leaf fans who still think they have a chance to go anywhere. Make sure you pass on the word to anyone else that might be interested.
February 20, 2008
Spring Training
I wish I could get invited to take part in a spring training camp. Not with the hopes of making the team, or even for the chance to toss a ball with the pros, but simply to get the hell out of this cold weather.Cleaning the car off at 3 in the morning when taking Carolyn home has lost all of its novelty. As have the snow covered streets that seem to have been neglected by plows for at least the last 3 snowfalls, and one rainfall that served to polish the layers into a hard, rutted, suspension destroying mess. Save a couple dollars in taxes by not having the plow go down the street, cost hundreds later in having to prematurely replace shocks and struts. But at least we have RIM Park to show for our tax dollars.
I suppose there are sillier ways to restructure taxes.
And at least no-one around here is paying elected officials to analyze performance enhancement in baseball in as long and drawn out a public sham as possible. I would be shocked to see anything more than stern warnings and a tap on the wrist come of it all. But then, GW needs a sport to come back to when he's done fucking the rest of his country in a year. Better to have his attention on anything but politics I say. So, welcome spring training! Time to go get some home opener tickets.
And I'm still looking for you fantasy baseballers. Info is in the previous post.
February 10, 2008
Pro Bore
The NFL's version of the all star game is the most useless one in all of pro sports. I understand that in football with the players playing through injury as they do, playing an exhibition game mid-season is more of a penalty than anything, but why bother even playing the Pro Bowl? Does anyone actually care? Why not just make it like John Madden's Horse Trailer, give the players the distinction they deserve, whether they are injured and unable to play or not.
Its not that the other pro sports offer a substantially better all-star 'game', though they at least do offer better showcases in the home run derby or the slam dunk competition. And baseball even took the step, after that awful tied game in Milwaukee, to make the actual game mean something, giving home field advantage to the winning league in the World Series.
Hockey did its best, with mixed results, to make its talent exhibition better this year. I actually didn't see a second of the breakaway competition, but even the game itself tends to be filled with some dazzling plays.
The Pro Bowl misses the boat on all these things, and comes across like an afterthought the week after the Superbowl; something to placate the Sunday football hangover for some, for others, ruining chances to see the local pro basketball team play an actual meaningful game.
EDIT: Also, in the sports vein, I've set up a Fantasy Baseball league for this season. If you can commit to actually managing your team til the end of the season, feel free to join.
ID: 41506
Pass: void
Draft: Live draft; March 22, 12:00pm EST
Its not that the other pro sports offer a substantially better all-star 'game', though they at least do offer better showcases in the home run derby or the slam dunk competition. And baseball even took the step, after that awful tied game in Milwaukee, to make the actual game mean something, giving home field advantage to the winning league in the World Series.
Hockey did its best, with mixed results, to make its talent exhibition better this year. I actually didn't see a second of the breakaway competition, but even the game itself tends to be filled with some dazzling plays.
The Pro Bowl misses the boat on all these things, and comes across like an afterthought the week after the Superbowl; something to placate the Sunday football hangover for some, for others, ruining chances to see the local pro basketball team play an actual meaningful game.
EDIT: Also, in the sports vein, I've set up a Fantasy Baseball league for this season. If you can commit to actually managing your team til the end of the season, feel free to join.
ID: 41506
Pass: void
Draft: Live draft; March 22, 12:00pm EST
September 19, 2007
Who's Idea Was This Whole Work Thing Anyways
I'm feeling kind of dead after putting in a ton of hours already this week, but I'm sure I'll find some energy somewhere for tomorrow's Logan Day festivities. Its funny/sad that I was complaining about my thesis in the post from this time last year, and its still not done.
Anyways, the bar night is gonna be held in the former stripper room at the Huether again, and promises to be a good time. Dodging thesis supervisors at the day's activities might not be as much fun, but I did finally legitimately start looking at my project again, so I have that.
I could write a much better thesis on how much the Edge replays garbage music in a given work day after spending the past 3 listening to it while doing field work. But we all already know this. I swear if I hear that goddamned Silversun Pickups song one more time I am going to go postal. Most. Annoying. Vocals. Ever....and the rhythm isn't much better.
Although it did remind me to go check out the Barry Bonds homerun ball vote that was also discussed frequently on the radio in the past few days. Awesome on Marc Ecko for having the money, stupidity, and yet brilliance to pull this off; though I'm sure its not hurting the marketing department either.
Go Vote. That is all.
Anyways, the bar night is gonna be held in the former stripper room at the Huether again, and promises to be a good time. Dodging thesis supervisors at the day's activities might not be as much fun, but I did finally legitimately start looking at my project again, so I have that.
I could write a much better thesis on how much the Edge replays garbage music in a given work day after spending the past 3 listening to it while doing field work. But we all already know this. I swear if I hear that goddamned Silversun Pickups song one more time I am going to go postal. Most. Annoying. Vocals. Ever....and the rhythm isn't much better.
Although it did remind me to go check out the Barry Bonds homerun ball vote that was also discussed frequently on the radio in the past few days. Awesome on Marc Ecko for having the money, stupidity, and yet brilliance to pull this off; though I'm sure its not hurting the marketing department either.
Go Vote. That is all.
September 16, 2007
Parabolic Annoying
I'm all for technological advance in delivering better sound and video to me at home infront of the TV, particularly when it comes to sports coverage. But all day today I've noticed, particularly in the NFL coverage, but also baseball, that they've taken it too far. I don't mind the features where they mic up players and take soundbytes though a game. Interviewing baseball managers early in innings is also tolerable. What I can't take now is listening to the fucking 13 year-old kid in the second row screaming incoherent gibberish repeatedly and it being picked up on the game audio and getting pumped into my rec room.
Also, the 49ers are now 2-0...NFC Championship is next!
For the non-sports inclined...I picked up tickets to the Matt Good stop in town the other day, and am pumped for that. That is, if I'll be in town. The prof I'm working for this term wants to meet this week, presumably to discuss upcoming work in Wisconsin, South Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, and/or California; all of which I will do my best to avoid.
Until then, someone please shut up this goddamned kid in Miami.
Also, the 49ers are now 2-0...NFC Championship is next!
For the non-sports inclined...I picked up tickets to the Matt Good stop in town the other day, and am pumped for that. That is, if I'll be in town. The prof I'm working for this term wants to meet this week, presumably to discuss upcoming work in Wisconsin, South Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, and/or California; all of which I will do my best to avoid.
Until then, someone please shut up this goddamned kid in Miami.
July 28, 2007
Bonds, Barry*
Barry Bonds is now one homerun away from tying Hank Aaron's career record. While being a total classless prick for his entire career is justification enough for him to be booed mercilessly when he does tie and break the record, personality faults shouldn't be enough to keep one out of the record books (nor should they keep Pete Rose out of Cooperstown, but that's another debate). On the other hand, the undeniable tie between him and performance enhancing drugs through the BALCO scandal should be enough to at least see some note made in the record books alongside his record.
Several fellow high profile BALCO customers have since tested positive for, or admitted to obtaining and using performance enhancing drugs, including Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Jason Giambi. In addition are the claims laid by staff with the lab that Bonds did infact use. While obviously not guilty by association with those other people, it is pretty clear that Bonds used some form of performance enhancement during the prime of his homerun hitting career.
At this point nothing will keep him strictly out of the record books, particularly since an outright rule against steroid use doesn't appear to have existed in baseball rules at the time. However an asterisk, or an entirely separate column are justified both for his single season record (and possibly McGwire's 2nd place entry) and for the career total; "Career homeruns hit, assisted", "Most homeruns hit with use of performance enhancing drugs".
In the short term, the best I can hope for is that he continues swinging too hard at the ball through the weekend series at home, and then goes ahead and ties and breaks the record away where the fans will be more likely to give him the far less than positive reception he deserves, not only for his steroid use, but for the lack of class he has brought to ballparks and locker rooms throughout his career. Good on Bob Costas for not backing down after the way Bonds has regarded the media through the years, even better on the fans in LA or San Diego in the upcoming series' if they boo and heckle the hell out of him when the moment comes where he ties and surpasses the record.
Looking down the road, Alex Rodriguez is on pace to hit the 755 mark almost a full season faster than Barry, and he hasn't really hit the later career homerun hitting surge yet. While No-Rod has his own building collection of classlessness (take his bush league interference play in Toronto earlier this season), he still has time to atone for himself, and at least attempts to be media friendly in a city where the media is regarded as being the furthest from the same.
Several fellow high profile BALCO customers have since tested positive for, or admitted to obtaining and using performance enhancing drugs, including Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Jason Giambi. In addition are the claims laid by staff with the lab that Bonds did infact use. While obviously not guilty by association with those other people, it is pretty clear that Bonds used some form of performance enhancement during the prime of his homerun hitting career.
At this point nothing will keep him strictly out of the record books, particularly since an outright rule against steroid use doesn't appear to have existed in baseball rules at the time. However an asterisk, or an entirely separate column are justified both for his single season record (and possibly McGwire's 2nd place entry) and for the career total; "Career homeruns hit, assisted", "Most homeruns hit with use of performance enhancing drugs".
In the short term, the best I can hope for is that he continues swinging too hard at the ball through the weekend series at home, and then goes ahead and ties and breaks the record away where the fans will be more likely to give him the far less than positive reception he deserves, not only for his steroid use, but for the lack of class he has brought to ballparks and locker rooms throughout his career. Good on Bob Costas for not backing down after the way Bonds has regarded the media through the years, even better on the fans in LA or San Diego in the upcoming series' if they boo and heckle the hell out of him when the moment comes where he ties and surpasses the record.
Looking down the road, Alex Rodriguez is on pace to hit the 755 mark almost a full season faster than Barry, and he hasn't really hit the later career homerun hitting surge yet. While No-Rod has his own building collection of classlessness (take his bush league interference play in Toronto earlier this season), he still has time to atone for himself, and at least attempts to be media friendly in a city where the media is regarded as being the furthest from the same.
April 13, 2007
Bubble Machine
One exam down, three to go in the next 65 hours or so. That's 100 carefully shaded in scantron bubbles so far, and too many more to go. Since its finals time again, my nose today started emulating the outdoor faucet on the side of the house that froze and cracked this winter. I'm sure the people sitting next to me absolutely loved my sniffling tonight.
I don't feel the least bad for it though after all the sniffling, rustling, inappropriate questions and cell phones I've put up with over the years.
And in less than 3 days it will all be over, and time for some relaxation and a trip down to Toronto on Tuesday night where I won't have to worry about undue traffic around the ACC. I wonder what Mats is handicapping these days?
In more worthy Toronto team news, both the Jays and Raptors pulled off huge wins over Detroit tonight. If you asked me, or any honest person, in October if I could imagine the Raptors with a shot at 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, there would of course have been an emphatic 'no', but what a show these guys have put on. And with the average age of this team, things should only be looking up for the next 3 or 4 years. Bryan Colangelo deserves most of that credit for pulling together the talent pool he has, but Sam Mitchell also deserves an apology from me for being very much a skeptic of his coaching ability. Ultimately he's the one that's gotten this team believing there is no 'I'.
And now I have nothing except psychology terms and bacteria names plying into the little folds of tissue in my head so its time to climb back into my hole, grab some vaporub, throw on the tube and get some sleep.
I don't feel the least bad for it though after all the sniffling, rustling, inappropriate questions and cell phones I've put up with over the years.
And in less than 3 days it will all be over, and time for some relaxation and a trip down to Toronto on Tuesday night where I won't have to worry about undue traffic around the ACC. I wonder what Mats is handicapping these days?
In more worthy Toronto team news, both the Jays and Raptors pulled off huge wins over Detroit tonight. If you asked me, or any honest person, in October if I could imagine the Raptors with a shot at 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, there would of course have been an emphatic 'no', but what a show these guys have put on. And with the average age of this team, things should only be looking up for the next 3 or 4 years. Bryan Colangelo deserves most of that credit for pulling together the talent pool he has, but Sam Mitchell also deserves an apology from me for being very much a skeptic of his coaching ability. Ultimately he's the one that's gotten this team believing there is no 'I'.
And now I have nothing except psychology terms and bacteria names plying into the little folds of tissue in my head so its time to climb back into my hole, grab some vaporub, throw on the tube and get some sleep.
March 18, 2007
St. Patty's Gong Show
Actually, contrary to most expectations, St. Patty's this year wasn't much of a show at all. There was no hitting the Bomber beer tent before noon to have my recommended yearly intake of green food colouring. There was no group sabotage of otherwise drinkable beer with salt and pepper shakers. There wasn't even a noon 'til midnight binge, barely removing myself from the same chair at the BarleyWorks this year. Instead, some 'retro' EA Sports game on PS2, some Belgian and German wheat beers (since I dropped the ball on getting myself a substantial quantity of, or in fact, any Harp or Smithwick's), and some movies.Not very Irish of me, I'm aware, but I have my health to show for it today. Will I use the lack of feeling like I got punched in the liver to get to work on the final presentation for my thesis I am expected to make on Thursday? Probably not. Will I watch more of round 2 of college hoops, and pretend like I knew what was going on beyond the top 4 or 5 teams in the country before this tournament started? More than likely. Will I listen to the Jays game, and think about ways in which Gustavo 'DUI' Chacin's career could now parallel Boomer Wells'? You bet.
There's still one week til the Fantasy Baseball Draft, get signed up!
Update: I was listening to the Ongoing History of New Music archives earlier this week, in particular to a two part show on Tool, when Alan Cross played a sample of a lullaby version of one of their songs. Curious, I looked it up and found that, not only are there some hilarious renditions of Tool, but a bunch of other bands from Bjork to Metallica and a bunch in between. Check out some of the samples here.
March 03, 2007
Down in Dunedin
Well would you look at that. Baseball's spring training is already under way, and that means its also time for Fantasy Baseball:
LooBall 2007
Yahoo League ID: 157649
Password: norod
Sign up and do your worst. Winner gets....uhh not sure what I'll get myself yet, but maybe I'll offer something for second place just to be nice.
Beyond that, I could ramble on about the Jays chances this year, and how they depend on the healthiness of the top 2 in the rotation, or on Vernon Wells having the same jump start that he did coming out of the World Baseball Classic last year, but its all been roughly said before. All that needs to be said is that the AL East is gonna be tight this year, and the Jays have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.
LooBall 2007
Yahoo League ID: 157649
Password: norod
Sign up and do your worst. Winner gets....uhh not sure what I'll get myself yet, but maybe I'll offer something for second place just to be nice.
Beyond that, I could ramble on about the Jays chances this year, and how they depend on the healthiness of the top 2 in the rotation, or on Vernon Wells having the same jump start that he did coming out of the World Baseball Classic last year, but its all been roughly said before. All that needs to be said is that the AL East is gonna be tight this year, and the Jays have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.
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