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.