When is Enough Enough?

I want to let everyone know that I am a huge sports fan first. In most cases my teams come second. With this being said I am a football fan. I love watching the NFL whenever it is on with zero regard to which teams are competing that day on the field. A game being on television on Thursday nights is a bonus I'd find difficult to criticize and can barely consider what catastrophic event could possibly keep me from watching.
Well, it has come to me. It is tantamount to chinese water torture brought to us in the form of Matt Millen. What deranged executive made this hire for the NFL Network? With unemployment in this country at all time highs and our schools in crises there just has to be plenty of unemployed morons to choose from. Come on already, do we really have to be clubbed over the head like baby harp seals by Millen's monotone stupidity over and over again every single week?
I will give it to him, he was a better than average linebacker in his day and held up his end on some real good defenses with the Raiders, Redskins and 49'ers but I'm sorry, this does not translate into either an executive position or as a color commentator. When you do everything you can to create the worst front office decisions of all time and destroying a franchise in the process how in the world does that qualify you to lend your wisdom, or lack thereof, to a football watching nation?
Doubt the validity of this question? As a viewer have you missed the moronic display provided on a platter as you watch? Here are a few little quotes that may serve to enlighten:

"We have the same philosophy in terms of the kind of people we like, the kind of team we want to build." -- Feb. 3, 2001, after hiring Bill Tobin as his personnel chief.
"I made it for philosophic reasons. That would probably be the best way to put it." -- after firing Tobin.

"I have known Steve since he got into the NFL as an assistant. ... His offensive system is one that we already have in place, which certainly is a plus for our football team in general and some of our young offensive players in particular." -- after hiring Steve Mariucci.

"I believe we have underachieved as a football team. I also believe that we have not developed our younger players, and that is bothersome." -- after firing Mariucci.

"My initial thought was this: If you can't get it done in five years, get out. And I still think that, but actually, I understand how things are now and when I say, 'Can't get it done,' I mean win a Super Bowl. I don't mean get to 10-6.

"I believe that we have as much talent on this football team as any other team in the league." -- before the 2004 season; the Lions finished 6-10.

"The opportunity sits before us and, you know what? The timing couldn't be better." -- before the 2005 season; the Lions finished 5-11.

"Is it the perfect group? No. But we believe it's as good as it's going to be, and we're going to get better." -- speaking about the roster before the 2005 season. (Did I mention that the Lions are 7-24 since then?)

These came out of William Clay Ford's mouth the day he hired Matt Millen. The Lions had finished 8-8 and 9-7 in the previous two years and had made the postseason five times in seven years, but failed to win a playoff game during that span."We've been pretty much stuck on dead center for quite a few years," William Clay Ford Sr. said that day. "Matt offers us an opportunity to move ahead."

Last night with the Steelers down to the Cleveland Browns 13-6 and only 1:47 left on the clock Pittsburgh lined up on a 4'th down play needing a 1'st down conversion or the game goes to the Browns. Roethlisberger's pass was deflected away and the Browns took over. Game, set, match! Cleveland wins. What does Matt have to say? "That ball should have been picked". Who cares? The ball and the game belong to the Browns regardless!

Well that's all I can muster right now other than a plea to the good folks at NFL network. If another unemployed moron can't be found, just go with crowd noise and let us watch a great sport in peace.

This Is It Really Was

My family and I went to see the new film dedicated to Michael Jackson using archive footage taken during rehearsals for the "This is It" show in London. Regardless of whether someone loved, hated or could simply care less about Michael Jackson the man this is a must see film.
Personally I have always been a fan of Jacksons music since i first heard him back in 1969. I can still remember rushing home that Sunday night to watch the Jackson 5 perform "I Want You Back" on the Ed Sullivan Show. In the last years he became more of a cartoon of his former self and was identified more by what the press and tabloids had to say than by his work. This movie takes it's audience back stage with a seldom seen perspective and slams you head on with the realization and memories of what Michael Jackson was and has always been, a phenomenon.
One of those once in a lifetime shooting star that trancends all boundries and comparisons to others. In fact, my wife Dannielle and I, upon leaving the theatre bounced other entertainment super stars off of one another. We came up with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis and all of the extremely talented contemporaries of today. The closest I could think of was Elvis. He had Michael's charisma. He had a voice so unique he could sing upbeat rock & roll while still having the ability to break out the emotional soul filled ballad. Unfortunately for the fans Elvis sang other writers song while Michael wrote almost all of his himself. While Elvis had his gyrating hips Michael Jackson could dance with the greatest dancer not only of his own time but with the best ever. And that barely scratches the surface of his incredible talents as a composer, songwriter and choreographer.
Simply put Michael has been an entertainment super nova for all of us lucky enough to have been born in his time. "This is It" as a film and as a tribute to that talent hits the mark like now other movie of its kind ever has before. It brings up raw emotion as its audience literally applauds as if Michael were there in front of them in a live concert. My wife pointed out, very adeptly, that it was the first time she had ever been to a movie where the entire audience sat in still attention through the entire credits as it came to a close. Seriously not a soul moved. It was as if everyone was transfixed by what they had just witnessed.
I literally felt my emotions for a good half hour after we had left the theatre. If a person likes music and has a couple of hours free he, or she, would be doing themselves an immense diservice not seeing "This is It" in the theatre. Trust me you will be swept away.

There Can Be No Joy in Dodgertown

The sun didn't shine brightly this morning. Instead it hides behind the the grey clouds of dispair.
As I pass other people all I see is their blank stare.
The children aren't playing the games they played in spring.
The boys we love aren't playing for a World Series ring.
Yes, a saddness has engulfed us, our heroes have gone away.
We are left wondering what could have been had the Phillies only been slain.
The memories are thick and full and the joy we had was real. Andre won in so many last gasp ways and Matt and Manny too.
It simply ended before we were ready to lose our Dodger Blue.
Yes in Dodgertown all are welcome to join in the Dodger fun but for now there can be none.
There can be no joy in Dodgertown for those clouds are hiding the sun.

The Hunt for Red in October

It happens every October. No, not Halloween, Major League Baseball's post season playoffs. Like every year there are story lines galore and this years post season is no different.
I have been writing these little blog updates all season and have mentioned, in detail, the Camelot like season the Dodgers have had. They are not alone. The Angels and Yankees have been right there all year long. The Angels the consensus pick to win the American League West didn't disappoint even up against an exciting lineup trotted out there by the Texas Rangers and the Yankees who return to the playoffs with this years best record in the Majors. This is the first Yankee team to go this far without Joe Torre in a very long time.
With the Yankees playing host to the Angels in the American League it will bring a fresh face to the playoffs following last years faceoff between Tampa Bay's Rays and the Red Sox from Boston. It will be a repeat performance between the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies and the two time Western Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ok, enough is enough. Here is how I see it. This season, as I have written here before, is and has already been a magical year in LA. Now, I believe the next couple of weeks will be more destiny than trial. As competitive as these games will be the conclusion is right in front of us. That conclusion is revenge. The Phillies manhandled the Dodgers last year but much has changed. Yes Pat Burrell, a huge bat in last years NLCS is gone. Long time Dodger nemesis Brad Lidge has been far less effective of late and Jimmy Rollins hasn't been displaying the pop he brought into last year's matchup. As big as those differences are the biggest changes are on the Dodgers side of the diamond. Casey Blake has become a leader in the clubhouse and a clutch performer in the field. The middle of the infield last year was held down by a Rafael Furcal fresh off of back surgery playing at about 75% and Blake DeWitt who spent as much time in triple A as he did on the big club. They have been replaced with a healthy Furcal playing his best baseball all season at shortstop and a combination of All Star and Gold Glover Orlando Hudson and hot hitting Ronnie Belliard holding down second. Last years pitching staff was held down by Derek Lowe, Brad Penny and a sore armed Takashi Saito trying to close out games. This years staff led the National League in ERA due in part to the coming of age of Clayton Kershaw, A healthy Randy Wolf and a bullpen as dominant as any I've seen in a long time anchored by not one but two shut down closers in George Sherrill and Jonathon Broxton.
Yep revenge is the word and destiny will be the result. It has been playing out all year like a typical Hollywood story line and in a cinematic fashion the Phillies will be the vanquished foe the hero must get past to fulfill his ultimate destiny.
Think this is my own dilusion? Ask yourself this. When was the last time you saw a National League team trade for a designated hitter in August? Obviously Jim Thome was brought in that early to be a powerful left handed bat bringing virtually no value to the table until the fall classic is under way.
As our story plays out the Dodgers will revenge the wrong doings of the petty crook like Spiderman slinging his web on a thug robbing a liquer store. The real foe as this story plays out, to it's ultimate conclusion, is the Dodgers all time nemesis the New York Yankees.
Yep it brings us to this. Sorry Angels. Sorry Phillies. This is the Dodgers as Spiderman and the dreaded Yankees played by the Green Goblin. It is destiny. The script has been written and the cameras are ready for the director to holler "Action".
After a season like this one there is only one final conclusion..... "May I have the envelope please"? "And the winner is ..................."

"They are just not THAT Good

Back in April a good friend of mine told me that the Dodgers, "Aren't that good". "You'll see", he said, "They aren't going to go anywhere". Take in to consideration that he made this claim at a time when the Dodgers had won 12 home games in a row and the Giants were still within a relative striking distance. I have had his words on my mind all year as one success led to another and another and another. I watched game after game trying to dissect the Dodger team from a purely baseball perspective. (I absolutely admit I am a homer). I found a lot of things about this years team both positive and negative.
In the early parts of the year the biggest concern was an untested bullpen in particular the middle relief. Over the months those concerns have been put to rest by the aquisition of Baltimore closer George Sherrill and the coming of age of youngsters Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso. The Dodger bullpen is now one of the best in all of baseball.
The Manny Ramirez suspension was next and Juan Pierre stood up and was counted. Most experts were talking about, "This is the chance the rest of the National League West needed", but Pierre played at an All Star level and proved how deep this team really is. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and James Loney proved to be the core of a Dodger lineup that never waited for the three run home run. They simply went out and hit singles until they scored enough to win. Here we are in late September, a team that did without the one bonafied superstar in the lineup for 50 games and is about to enter the playoffs ranked at or near the top of the league in batting average, RBI's and on base percentage.
I was talking about this with a neighbor over the weekend when it struck me. Without reservation we are watching the finest top to bottom Dodger lineup in the Los Angeles Dodgers history. I tried to match them up and there were great players at every position but never assembled out there at one time. This has come at a moment in time when the young kids have come in to their own at the same time. Ned Colletti has brought in talent that has meshed well, both in personality and a baseball fit. Eight guys that get along. Eight guys that can get it done. Eight guys that I believe will not stop until the final task has been accomplished.
Martin, Loney, Hudson, Furcal, Blake, Ramirez, Kemp and Ethier taking thier places next to Garvey, Wills, Moon, Cey, Roseboro, Baker, Davis and Parker. The 6'th World Championship in the Dodger's Los Angeles era. It is theirs to take and ours to enjoy. 1988 never seemed so long ago as it does right now.
As for my friends claim? He was wrong. Oh so wrong. The Dodgers are that good, in fact better than I could have imagined back in April. Let us savor this year and enjoy it as it unfolds! 6 World titles. And my friends Giants? Like the photo above cries out..... Zero, Nada, Zilch. Hmmmm, maybe he was talking about San Francisco when he said, "They're not that good", and I simply misunderstood. Sorry Dude.

Look, Up in the Sky! Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?

My sister Lise' messaged me yesterday and asked, "What's up with the blogs"? I surmised that she actually meant what was up with the LACK of blog entries of late. A few of you actually asked that in the last couple days and I want to apologize right now and make up for it today.

The Dodgers start a series in San Francisco this weekend in what I hope are the last meaningful games the Giants play this year, (I'm thinking brooms here). With this in mind I want to write about some factoids I have looked up on the technological marvel we call the internet. Some may be more difficult to prove than others but at times like this I simply lean on faith first and be damned with the negative thinkers. Lise' ... AAATT.......................

ANDRE ETHIER FACTS

(as I found them)

1. After the Dodgers hit 4 straight home runs on 9-18-2006 Andre came up and flied out against Trever Hoffman. He would have homered a 5'th straight had he not been so tired from sleeping with Hoffman's wife.

2. Andre, not Ned Colletti, orchestrated the Manny Ramirez deal because he felt he could fix a hole in Manny's swing. Result: Manny is hitting over .350 as a Dodger.

3. The most historic blunder in Major League history? Bill Buckner in the '86 Series? No, it was the Athletic's trade of Andre Ethier for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. (Antonio who?)

4. Andre Ethier only joined baseball after a lot of weight loss and a successful career as a professional wrestler. Ever heard of Andre the Giant?

5. Andre is a natural pitcher capable of 300 wins in the big leagues. He just finds it more entertaining to throw 110 mph fastballs from 350 feet away rather than 60 feet 6 inches.

6. In a former life, Andre Ethier threw out Ty Cobb at the plate.....Twice.

7. Andre Ethier predicted Kirk Gibsons historic 1988 World Series Home Run before it happened. His prediction was at breakfast one morning in 1985.

8. When Andre Ethier made a pilgrimage to Mecca, Mecca bowed at his feet.

9. Andre Ethier was one of the guys who trotted around the bases with Hank Aaron in 1974. Lost tapes of the Home Run caught him saying, "See? I told you to use your wrists more".

10. Eric Clapton lost a "cutting heads" guitar competition to Andre Ethier. (Very few realize that with a bearded disguise Andre was the lead guitar for ZZ Top).

11. Andre Ethier gave Roy Hobbes batting instruction.

12. Andre Ethier is the best thing since sliced bread. (Coincidentally, Andre INVENTED sliced bread).

13. The Dodgers are planning an Andre Ethier Bobblehead Night in 2010. Bring a truck if you go that night. The doll will be cast in solid gold and stand 8 feet tall.

14. Andre is very generous. So much so he allows opposing pitchers 5 balls instead of the customary 4. (True story).

15. When on the road last week in Arizona, Andre Ethier had a hotel suite with Dan Haren serving as his butler, housemaid, chef, chauffer to and from the games and personal batting practice pitcher.

16. During an Arizona spring training game Andre Ethier threw Jose Reyes out at the plate. Reyes was trying to score in Port St. Lucie FLORIDA!

17. the Bruce Willis movie "Unbreakable" is based on the life of Andre Ethier.

18. Andre Ethier forced Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox to end the Civil War.

19. C.C. Sabathia wants to play in Los Angeles so he will never be embarrassed pitching to Andre Ethier. (Also it is rumored he wants a few pointers from Andre on his curve ball).

20. Barrack Obama has officially announced his selection of Andre Ethier as the United States Secretary of Awesome.

21. 92% of the players listed in the Mitchell report tested positive for high levels of Andre Ethier.

22. Andre Ethier's given name is Cassius Clay.

23. The Virgin Mary gave birth to Andre Ethier, but you've probably only heard of her adopted son.

24. Broadcasters often refer to the "metaphorical" 5 run Home Run. Andre Ethier will prove it is no longer a metaphor.

25. The "chaos theory" states that if Andre Ethier swings a bat in Los Angeles, the force can cause a hurricane in North Carolina.

26.Due to Andre Ethier's incredible range, it has been suggested that he patrol the outfield alone with Kemp and Ramirez moving to the infield. This hasn't happened only because Matt and Manny want to marvel at him up close rather than so far away.

27. JD Drew left for Boston because he knew Andre Ethier was going to beat him out anyway.

28. Andre Ethier once threw a ball errantly high to home. That ball is now known as Haley's comet.

29. Ever watch the show "24"? Jack Bauer fears Andre Ethier.

30. The reason Andruw Jones hit so poorly in Los Angeles was because he couldn't take his eyes off of Andre Ethier in the dugout.

31. On the 7'th day God rested. That same day Andre Ethier played and got 4 hits!

32. Very few know that Andre Ethier is a natural right hander yet he throws left handed. If he were to ever throw right handed the sheer speed of he throws would break the space time continuum and send him back to the late Jurasic period. Andre Ethier has an irrational fear of dinosaurs, so he throws left handed.

33. Announcer Bob Costas carries a Mickey Mantle baseball card with him at all times. Mickey Mantle carries an Andre Ethier baseball card at all times in heaven.

34. When Andre Ethier plays golf, Tiger Woods offers to be his caddy - -FOR FREE

35. Ted Williams had his body frozen using Cryonic technology with the hope that one day he could see Andre Ethier play.

36. Andre Ethier was Mr. Miyagi's guru.......Wax on, Wax off.......

37. Andre Ethier could play every position himself and win the Dodgers a World Series. The only reason the Dodgers send out the other 8 guys is to be sure Andre doesn't get lonely.

38. There has been a civil lawsuit filed in a Phoenix Arizona court against the Mexican company Dos Equis. It was filed because ANDRE ETHIER is the most interesting man in the world.

39. In 2001 Barry Bonds had a bad potato peeling accident and needed an emergency blood transfusion. Being a giving soul Andre Ethier was the only volunteer. Bonds went on to hit 73 Home Runs that year.

40. Andre Ethier was the little boy who stuck his finger in the dyke and saved the entire region known as Holland.

41. Andre Ethier once fired Donald Trump and then threw him out at home from the right field corner.

42. Alex Rodriguez was going to sign with the Dodgers before the 2007 season but only if the team agreed to trade Andre Ethier away. Alex wanted to be the star of the team.

43. Although Andre Ethier was born and raised in Phoenix Arizona, his National Monument was built in upstate New York. You probably know it as the Hall of Fame.

44. Few fans know that Andre Ethier was originally drafted #1 by the Chicago Cubs directly out of Little League. He decided against signing at that time, however because he was too busy inventing penicillin in a lab he put together in 5'th grade.

45. As a child, Willie Mays kept a poster of Andre Ethier on his bedroom wall.

46. Andre 3000 of the band "Outcast" named himself as a tribute to Andre Ethier and his lifetime hit total.

47. Barrack Obama's energy plan revolves around harnessing the force created by Andre Ethier's swing and converting it to low cost energy to keep the elderly warm on cold winter nights.

48. Everyone knows that a Honus Wagner baseball card is the most valuable card ever produced garnering millions at a recent sale. Far fewer fans realize that the card has such a remarkable value only because if you squint your eyes and look at the card just right you can see Andre Ethier in the backround.

49. Dodger fans don't leave games early to beat the traffic. They leave early to avoid being struck and killed in the parking lot by an Andre Ethier walk off Home Run.

And finally Andre Ethier fact number 50........ My sister thinks Andre Ethier has a great bottom!

There ya go Lise'. All Andre All The Time! AAATT.......................

All facts used in this blog were found on the World Wide Web and in no way indicates or indicts the auther of said blog. Oh yea, except the great bottom part. That was a direct quote!

Post Script: While playing a game at ASU Andre Ethier once hit a 722 foot Home Run, with a cactus!

You Pick His Label - I'll Just Listen and Smile

Icon? Broadcaster? Professional? We could all come up with a list of descriptive labels in an attempt to describe Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully but none of them can begin to capture what he is and what he means to me and so many others. Vin Scully is one of a kind. A once in a lifetime blessing we are lucky enough to co-exist with in this time.

Vin has been the California Radio Broadcaster of the Year an unprecedented 28 times. He was voted by his peers as the Greatest Sports Broadcaster of the 20'th Century. He was presented with the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 and even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I will stop there with his list of accomplishments because I don't have the time to sit here and write that long and that is not what I want to convey here today. It is not the awards Vin has accumulated but instead the awards he has given us that I'd like to talk about today.

When Greg Papa, a respected broadcaster in his own right, recently interviewed Vin he opened by addressing him with , "Mr. Scully". Vin quickly let him know that he was Vin and always had been. With a respectful grin Mr. Papa continued by asking Vin "Are you planning on coming back for another season next year"? Vin's reply, "If you want to make God smile go ahead and tell him your plans". It is humility like that and a grace seldom, if ever, displayed in our culture these days, that help set Vin Scully apart.

Vin has been broadcasting Dodger baseball since 1950 and has dignified Football, Golf, Tennis and many other events with his call over the years. Along with many fans I grew up listening to him on our porch on a warm summer day. Huddled around a radio at the ball field. Sneaking a listen in school with the earphone wire hidden up our sleeves sitting at our desks and under the covers at night when we were supposed to be asleep. I hear these same descriptions from so many fans now but as a boy I thought I must have been the only one.

When I sat down I thought it would be easy to write this but I have found that there really is no way to describe what Vin Scully has meant to myself and others. He is the most popular Dodger of all time and the reason so many are Dodger fans today. I will try to sum this up with words but none come to mind that could possibly do him justice so I will leave it at this.... I love you Vin Scully and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Here a just a few of his calls you may remember..........

San Francisco 49'ers cap their 1981 drive against the Dallas Cowboys to earn their first Superbowl trip......

"Montana ...looking, looking, throwing in the endzone...Clark caught it! Dwight Clark!...It's a madhouse at Candlestick"!

Hank Aaron hits his historic 715'th home run against the Dodgers Al Downing....

"What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly Hank Aaron".

The Mets win game six of th 1986 World Series against the Red Sox......

Little roller up along first . . . behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!

Scully then remained silent for more than three minutes, letting the pictures and the crowd noise tell the story. Scully resumed with....

"If one picture is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words, but more than that, you have seen an absolutely bizarre finish to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets are not only alive, they are well, and they will play the Red Sox in Game 7 tomorrow"!

And finally, Kirk Gibson hits his 1988 home run to beat the A's in game 1.......

"High fly ball into right field, she i-i-i-is... gone"!
”
Holding to his long-standing belief that the noise of the fans best tells the story, Scully did not speak for 67 seconds before announcing, incredulously,

"In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened"!

Later, Scully said to his broadcast partner (Joe Garagiola) and to the viewers,

"What an opening act, huh? I think we've got a leading man, and many of them, between now and the end of this great 1988 World Series".

Take a listen to history.... It was 9:46pm on September 9'th 1965 ....... There were some 29000 fans and a million butterflies! http://contursi.freeyellow.com/baseballtour/sounds/sounds/scullykoufaxperfect.mp3

Dodgertown.........Or Never Never Land?

I watched the Dodgers and Braves last night and when it ended I shook my head vigorously just to be sure I hadn't drifted off to sleep and dreamed another fantastic finish. My sister coined the acronym, A A A T T, a few weeks ago. Simply it means All Andre, All The Time. It refers to the season long heroics of the Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier. Once my head stopped shaking I quickly realized that it was indeed real. The Dodgers had done it again.
When does the incredible become ordinary? If it happens all of the time is it any less miraculous? I have to say that this season, like no other I have ever experienced, has been filled with one improbable moment after another. Vin Scully has said, "This is more Hollywood than Hollywood". I think it may even be more than that.
The 2009 Dodgers are a Fairytale. Could AllStar Orlando Hudson be Snow White's Prince or Casey Blake be Peter Pan? After all Manny Rameriz has a Kingdom, Mannywood, named in his honor. It seems that almost nightly the Dodgers have another fairytale story represented by still another magical hero that rides in on his powerful white horse to save the day.
Sitting in the stands the night Manny hit his first pitch Grand Slam to break a 2-2tie against the Reds all I could say was "WOW". Last night was much the same. It seems that watching a Dodger player mobbed at the end of another improbable victory would become blase' but it doesn't. It just continues to be as thrilling as all of the incredible deeds performed by magical heroes in far away kingdoms we remember hearing about as children.
A A A T T? I don't think so. You can't fit Sir Lancelot into that acronym.
While it lasts enjoy it. Watch every episode of this compelling fairytale we call Dodgertown while it lasts because magic must be enjoyed and it is happening now in 90090.

Returning to the Promised Land

Just a quick note to give a little nudge of good luck to Jason Schmidt who will return to the mound tonight against the Cincinnati Reds. We are pulling for you Jason!
As soon as the game is over it is off to bed for me. Early rise tomorrow and on the road to Dodger Stadium where my sister, friends and myself will attend the next two nights of Dodger Baseball. The Giants are lurking so my successful streak at the Stadium needs to come through!
Promised land, HERE I COME!

Oh the Pain...........

A great friend of mine, who shall remain anonomous so let's refer to him as George, told me one day, during a conversation about our respective trips to Wrigley Field, that the Cub fans "Pissed him off". I was shocked. Who, after all, could possibly dislike the Cubs or their die hard fan base? I asked him point blank, "Are you serious"?
He told me that it bothered him immensly that the media around the country was so enthralled with the loveable losers, (at that time both the Cubs and the Red Sox with the Red Sox having since shaken the loser description). He maintained that his Giants and fans like himself had had it every bit as hard as anyone in baseball. The realization hit me hard, like ice cold water hitting you in the face. He was right.
As a Dodger fan I was so used to being immersed in our intense rivalry with the Giants, and it's back and forth nature. The Dodgers losses over the years in late season failures to the Giants had caused me to lose sight of the fact that while the Dodgers had gone on to many World Series appearances and 6 World Championships in my lifetime poor George had seen only 2 appearances and absolutely zero world titles. The old New York Giants had many succesful runs, many of which at the expense of the Brooklyn team, yet the team in San Francisco had failed so miserably since their incepion back in 1958.
I felt it my duty and responsibility to say it here that you are right George. This 2009 season, now at the All Star break, is no different. The Giants are playing great ball. Their pitching staff is beyond reproach as the finest set of starters in the game. The Giants are a team to be reckoned with except.............
The pain George and all the Giant fans will feel is a gut wrenching pain like no other. Finding a way to lose is not as easy a thing as most fans think. Melt downs are NOT an exclusive property of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs after all treated their fans to World Championships at the beginning of the 20'th century. The San Francisco Giants faithful have been kicked in the teeth every single year of their existance. When the 2009 season has ended and the last World Series game has become a memory the Dodgers may not be Champions of the Baseball world but the Giants? The fact that they won't be winners is a sure thing and the pain felt by their fans will endure until next year when another dose of it will be conjured up by their heroes. You are right George, you are right.

Sacred Skin

At 54 years of age I believe I am well past the usual demographic recieving a FIRST tattoo. I was always afraid that I would outlive the relevance of the art. My seven year old and I were talking a few weeks ago about a temporary tattoo he had when he asked about real tattoos. I told him that what is important today may not be so important to you tomorrow. He looked at me, as serious as he could be, and said, "What about a DODGER tattoo"? Well that hit me right between the eyes, and I knew he was right.

I was an Oakland Raider fan for 21 years when the franchise was taken away, from Oakland fans, to Los Angeles so I knew very well that there was no permanency in the geographic location of my Dodgers. So I completely eliminated any reference to Los Angeles or the LA logo. Instead I chose, simply, the two things I love the most, the Dodgers and a Baseball.

I know in my heart that for as long as I live I will love them and there can be no reason that could ever change in my lifetime.

I make my home in Northern California so finding an artist capable, (and willing), to commision a Dodger tat may be a task more difficult than one might first expect but I found him. His name is Mike and he is an extremely talented young artist and owner / operator of the Sacred Skin Tattoo in Valley Springs. I am more than happy with the artwork he provided me and I am refering anyone of you to his place of business for that simple reason. If you'd like to contact him his number is (209) 772-1412 and his myspace site is: http://www.myspace.com/mikechavezochoa if you'd like to see some of his other work.

Have a great 4'th of July and GO Dodgers!

They are Only Rules Afterall

Along with family and friends I took in a Class A game in the California League between the Modesto Nuts, (Colorado Rockies affilliate), and the San Jose Giants, (San Francisco Giants affilliate), the other night. The game was played under the stars on a beautiful warm evening with the Giants destroying Modesto by a tally of 13-1.

I noticed that although both teams were associated with the National League the game was played under the Designated Hitter rule of the American League. This bothers me on so many levels I decided to look up the actual rules as they pertain to the Minor League Baseball system.

Here is what I found:

Pitchers only bat in Class AA and Triple-A. Here are the rules for these leagues...

International—Pitchers only hit when both clubs are NL affiliates

Pacific Coast-- Pitchers only hit when both clubs are NL affiliates and both clubs agree to have their pitchers hit

Eastern-- Pitchers only hit when both clubs are NL affiliates

Southern-- Pitchers only hit when both clubs are NL affiliates

Texas-- Pitchers only hit when both clubs are NL affiliates

I will be brief in my ranting over this because honestly, I can argue this topic for hours on end. Baseball has NO Designated Hitter. There, simply, has never been a rule that allows a player to participate in a game without being a part of the 9 man lineup. The rule, (Designated Hitter), completely removes strategy from a game that, let's face it, lacks the non stop action of Football or Basketball. Baseball is a cerebral contest where a manager must out think his counterpart to the point that he is every bit as much a part of a victory or a loss as his players on the field.

Please tell me, why an American League team needs a Manager? A pitching coach could easily decide when to replace one pitcher for another and a hitting coach could just as easily fill out a lineup card or put a play on. There is zero strategy when playing under the rule. No need to argue, what would I do instead if I were the manager. An individual pitchers hitting ability neither adds or detracts any value when considering him as a member of the team.

Let me know what you think and I will address it here. Baseball is great and the American League is fun to!!

Fathers Day 2009

June 21'st was a great day this year. My family
and I returned from a cruise to Vancouver and
met with more family and friends for the Dodgers versus Angels game in Anaheim. It was a wonderful Fathers Day event I enjoyed surrounded by my son Casey, my father Don, my sister Lise', my wife Dannielle and friends. We watched a masterful performance turned in by Clayton Kershaw and the run scoring antics we have come to expect from the Dodgers including a two run homer by James Loney.
That home run is the reason I decided to write this entry. After the umpire ran into right field and signaled Loney to touch them all, play was halted after he had rounded the bases and returned to the dugout. It was anounced on the public address system that the "play was under revue". Instantly I thought I had been struck over the head and had just awakened at an NFL game. Well, first I realized that the Rams now reside in St Louis and there was no pro football anywhere near Anaheim. After about 5 minutes in this surreal atmosphere the home run was pronounced real as the original call stood the scrutiny of video replay. I have to say the impact of that pause left it's mark. There can be no place in our pastime for video revue. The game of baseball is a product of it's own calm flow and cadence only to be broken by an intense exhilaration and excitement brought on by the building tension the games own circumstance brings. When that moment happens, and the crowds emotion bursts forth, the very last thing needed at that moment is for a dull, dead pan announcement "The play is under revue". For well over 100 years we have intrusted umpires to make those calls. The fact that on occasion those calls are wrong only inhance the experience and the never ending conversation / argument that sometimes goes on long after that original call was made. Ok that was just my two cents on the subject.
All in all it was a great day watching the Dodgers win another inter-league game! Inter-league baseball? Sorry but if I start on THAT topic I may not have time for dinner tonight!
I hope you all had as great a Father's Day as I did.

People Will Come Ray, People Will Come.....

I was thinking how cool it is to be able to share my thoughts without worrying about those thoughts being judged. There is an incredible feeling of freedom that comes from it plus the enjoyment I get from the feedback I receive from all of you.

Before long if you read enough of these you'll realize I tend to dwell, a little. How many of you remember the James Earl Jones "Baseball Speech" from the, now, 20 year old film "The Field of Dreams"?

It touches on an incredibly important aspect of Baseball's appeal. Continuity. Something I feel is in grave danger today.

(For Those Who Need a Memory Refreshment)

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.

People will come Ray...For reasons they can't even fathom.

They'll walk out to the bleachers and sit in their shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They will find they have reserved seats along one of the baselines.

It will be just like when they were children and cheered their heroes, and they'll watch the game, and it will be as if they were dipped in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they will have to brush them away from their faces...

This field, this game, it's part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.

Oh, people will come. People will most definitely come".

W.P. Kinsella, "Field of Dreams"

http://new.wavlist.com/movies/079/fd-speech.wav

The memories I feel when I watch a game today comes from that continuity. When I see something on the field it almost automatically conjures comparisons to plays, players or situations of games I've watched before. With interleague play, the Designated Hitter rule, (From that other league), instant replay and tweaking the homefield in the World Series as a result of the All Star Game outcome all eat away at what always was a pure continuous flow from one decade to the next. This is a rant I will be touching on more in the future as time permits but for now I'll just enjoy the games as they play out and hope it doesn't degrade any further in my lifetime.

Families stick together with a common bond

As you may have seen in my profile I have a 7 year old son. Bringing Casey up is probably the most important responsibility I have ever taken on in my life. Well, at least it is the most important one to me. Every time I look at him I realize that nothing I have experienced before even comes close to what he makes me feel. That being said, I pray from the bottom of my heart that he becomes the baseball and sports fan I hope to spend my golden years with.
I chuckle to myself saying that but I have seriously bonded with so much of my family in that way that I'm not sure what it would be like to have my only son not share it with me.
My Grandfather used to sit next to me in my earliest memories telling colorful stories of the 1920's when he sat in bleachers everyday for a quarter watching the Tigers in Detroit. How great were Ty Cobb? Babe Ruth? Tris Speaker? Lefty O'Doul or any of the other American League stars of the day? To me it brought a kind of syymetry to the world. I knew what I saw but also how it connected to those summer days he spent in Tiger Stadium.
My father took me to Oakland Raider games starting when I was only 5 years old and we had season tickets until the Raiders left when I was 26. The memories of those times together are some of the dearest I have and I believe it is the same for him.
My little sister, a mere 12 years my junior, was my first project. I used to drag her on average to 40 plus Oakland A's games a season and to Dodger Giant games whenever I could conive a ride out of our Mom, (Which to her credit was quite often). By the time she was 6 she knew the names of the A's, Dodgers and Boston Red Sox starting teams and loved it whenever George Scott would come to the plate so she could howl "Boooooomer", "Boooooomer". I'll never forget how happy that made her. Well, she is over 40 now and for the last few years I have enjoyed our baseball trips together. This year it was to Arizona to take in the Cactus League action. Last year it was Southern California where our Dad joined us for a Dodgers - Padres game at PETCO Park, a round at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and finally a Braves - Angels match up in Anaheim. 2007 we flew seperately to Chicago where we took in a couple of rounds in the Cubs - Cardinals rivalry and a nightcap at US Cellular Field to take in the rock and roll attitude of the White Sox faithful.
My Grandfather has been gone for some time now but I have him with me everytime I turn on a game. My Dad and sister have relationships stronger than those of most of my friends with their families and we all have sports to thank for it.
Now, if only my son will come around. Guess I will just have to keep taking him out to the ballgames. Keep filling him up on peanuts and Crackerjack.

Is there no justice?

It recently came to my attention, while watching a FOX baseball broadcast, that Maury Wills has not yet been inducted to Baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. At first this simply struck me as odd. Then, like a constant drip to my forehead during a dose of Chinese water torture, it began to eat away at me. Maury freakin Wills isn't in the Hall??? How can this be? I asked this question over and over again. In the bat of an eye I could think of one player after another that couldn't possibly have more credentials qualifying them for induction than he.
Take a moment to consider that this is a guy who appeared in 7 All Star games and was voted MVP of the game in 1962. That same year was voted Co-Player of the Year in Major League Baseball, (With Don Drysdale...and oh by the way is inducted into Cooperstown already) and voted the National Leagues Most Valuable Player ahead of Hall of Fame inductees Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Drysdale, Stan Musial, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Robinson and Sandy Koufax amongst others. On top of these honors he was a two time winner of the National League's Gold Glove among shortstops and led the league 5 times in stolen bases. He was baseballs first player to top 100 stolen bases in a single season when he stole a then record 104 in 1962. He appeared in 4 World Series and won 3 of them. All of this as impressive as it seems on the surface pales when you consider what he really did. He changed the way the game is played. Without him I really question whether we would have ever seen Lou Brock or Ricky Henderson blossom into the performers they were. Pitchers and defenses have not been the same since. All because Maury Wills changed the way we looked at baseball. He was a constant threat and the Dodger teams he starred on showed what a team with great pitching and very little power could accomplish. Put simply, World Championships. Because a walk becomes a double, a double becomes a triple and a flyball turnes into a run.
I'm not sure who it is that needs a wake up call but I am positive that whoever they are they need to rectify this situation while Maury is still with us to share in the honor!