What's In a Name

Ok I hope you are ready because I am about to go off on a political tangent of sorts. I was reminded today of a pet peeve of mine with regard to sports nicknames. Before I go there, however, I want to talk a little about the history behind some of those nicknames.

The New York Yankees began life as the Baltimore Orioles in 1901.
On January 09, 1903 the defunct Orioles were bought by Frank Farrell and Bill Devery for $18,000 and moved to Manhattan where they played as the New York Highlanders.
In April 1913, after moving to the Polo Grounds, the Highlanders are finally renamed the Yankees. From their origins as an original doormat of the old American League the Yankees went on to dominate the baseball landscape for decades as the far and away leaders in World Championships.
The first openly professional team was the famous Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869-1870. They began as an amateur organization in the National Association of Baseball Players in 1866, as interest in baseball grew substantially after the Civil War. Interest in the Red Stockings themselves grew as they compiled an impressive winning streak while mostly on a road tour or "barnstorming". The new version of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, (later shortened to Cincinnati Reds), became prosperous. The team won the first American Association pennant, and survived the first eight of the Association's ten-year existence. In 1890, the Reds were readmitted to the National League, and continue to play in Cincinnati to this day.
With the Cincinnati Red Stockings dissolved, four of its players regrouped in Boston to join the new National Association and formed the Boston Red Stockings, which eventually evolved into the Boston Braves. Those Braves kept their nickname as they moved to Milwaukee for the 1958 season and kept it yet again upon their move to Atlanta as today's Atalanta Braves.
I know many people think that the Red Stockings were the origin of todays Boston Red Sox. NOT TRUE!
In 1901, the American Leaguee declared itself equal to the National League, (Not true then and not true now), and established a competing club in Boston. For seven seasons, the AL team wore dark blue stockings and had no official nickname. They were simply "Boston" or "the Bostons"; or the "Americans" or "Boston Americans" as in "American Leaguers", Boston being a two-team city. Their 1901-1907 shirts, both home and road, simply read "Boston".
The temporary decision by the Boston National Leaguers to drop the color red from their uniforms led to a history-making decision:
"Red Stockings had been part of all Boston National League teams up to 1907, but the manager that year, told a Boston Journal baseball writer, he would abandon the red stockings tradition in favor of white stockings, because of the danger that colored stockings might cause leg injuries to become infected. The very next day the Boston club president announced he was grabbing the name Red Sox and that his American League team would begin wearing red stockings the very next season.
Todays Pittsburgh franchise was originally known as the "Alleghenys" named for the city of Allegheny across the river from Pittsburgh. It wasn't until the Philadelphia Athletics committed a clerical error and did not reserve the services of two players and Pittsburgh signed the two stars. After an official ruling upheld the signings the Athletics, (yes they are the A's of Oakland now) called Pittsburgh "a bunch of pirates" in the press. The name stuck.
My favorite team, the Dodgers, have had a pretty remarkable anthology with there nickname as well. Going all the way back to the original Brooklyn team in 1883 they were the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Only a few years later they changed it to the Superbas. However it was the famous Ebbets Field that gave this franchise its current name. During their years at Ebbetts, players often dodged trolley cars to reach the ballpark leading to the nickname "Trolly Dodgers" later shortened to "Dodgers" which has remained the name to this day and I think it travelled well on it's journey west from Brooklyn. Another interesting note was a temporary name change that lasted from 1914 until 1931. Brooklyn was known as the Robins. It was an honor not to the bird but to their beloved manager Wilbert Robinson. Upon his retirement the team reverted back to the Dodgers.
Ok, with all of that said, I believe that nicknames are a source of pride. Would the Kansas City Royals have the same image if they were the Kansas City Slugs? Should all Kings and Queens feel insulted by the name Royals being used in this way? Do people of Norweigien decent have a legitimate gripe because Minnesota has a franchise called the Vikings? Again, no! These names are more of a way to pay homage. To hold that image in a higher place to be admired not at all to be looked down on. In the old Negro Leagues names like the Black Yankees and Birmingham Black Barons existed as a badge of honor and history reflects that.
When Stanford University changed their name to the Cardinal instead of Indians they didn't do Native Americans a service. They took away an honor and a sign of respect. I hope that other names in sports don't go in that same direction and that the likes of Cleveland's Indians, Atlanta's Braves and Washington's Redskins continue to cast honor on those people for years to come. After all, if a nickname really is adverse I want to get together to take action against the Chicago White Sox in a class action suit on behalf of all of us that wear white socks. Trust me, my feet are sensitive in this matter.

Life Is a Song Worth Singing

Teddy Pendergrass is dead at the age of 59 years old. To many this is just another passing of a member of our popular culture. To me it is a tragic loss that I feel very deeply.
I think all of us have a songbook that we carry with us throughout our lives adding new songs all along the way. In my songbook Teddy holds a very special place partly because he was so prolific a hitmaker and partly because those very hits took place at a time I recall with such fondness. As a young man in my 20's it was almost as if he were singing my songs instead of me singing my own.
From his start as a member of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes to his solo career he was a major force in what is now known as "The Philadelphia Sound". From the time I first heard "Wake Up Everybody" and his lead for the Bluenotes I was sold. Not only did that voice become so recognizeable it brought me to a place that felt like home wherever I was.
For the time in my life I lived and worked in Lake Tahoe I saw Teddy live on several occasions everytime he appeared in a local showroom. I own to this day every vinyl album he ever produced as well as a few CD's that are still among my favorites to give a listen. As a recording artist and a performer he has few challengers from his contemporaries. A career, that was side tracked by an auto accident that left him paralyzed in 1982, was one that we probably have no idea how incredible it was destined to be otherwise.
We lost a great performer and man today and I lost a part of myself. My songbook will never be the same and my subconscience feelings whenever I hear Teddy singing will not be bringing me home anymore. Rest in peace Teddy Pendergrass and thank you.

Whose Fault is it Anyway?

With all of society's ills we have some of the best minds constantly involved toward coming up with the solutions to make it all better. The human condition is to look for the ones to blame. Famine, war, economic depression, disease, bigotry, religious persecution and all of the problems that plague humanity are only problems caused by someone else right? If we could eliminate those at fault all would be healed and the world would be right again.
Well, I know who it is. It is "THEM". Also known as "THEY". "THEY" are easy to find. "THOSE" people should be weeded out and made to pay for all the bad things "THEY" cause.
But wait...... "THEY" do all the good in the world as well, don't "THEY".
The truth of the matter is that we can all look in the mirror to find the real culprit. Yep, "THEM" and "THEY" are "US". Each and every one of us is responsible for all of it. All of the bad and all of the good. When we, as human beings, begin to cherish what is different about one another and stop the hatred of everyone different from "US" all of these problems will soon cease to exist entirely and they will become laughable as we can hardly imagine being so rediculous in the first place.
Imagine for a moment how bland this existance would be if everyone was the same. I, for one, would rather not exist at all under that awful set of circumstances.
Catholics shouldn't hate protestants. Whites shouldn't fear blacks. Jews shouldn't look at muslims as an enemy. Every group should wonder at the spice that every other group brings to our worldwide party. Soon the only group of "THEM" left would be "US". Human beings, happy to stand side by side reveling in all of "OUR" wonderous varieties.
Ok this has been a message from my conscience and this blog will return with the frivolities of pastimes and games next time you come back to see it.
Take care and thanks for reading!

Baseball in January?

There is a strange feeling that comes over you after the New Year. Christmas has come and gone, the college and NFL football seasons have all but come to a close and the parties have all gone quiet as we ring in another year. I hope everyone is healthy and safe and that your baseball souls are not in too much pain as we wait now for spring.
For now, it is Hot Stove trade talk, MLB Network giving us our fix of classic baseball and the memories we have of the season just past. All the while we can't help but daydream about the Spring just ahead. The sunny skies over Florida and Arizona. Grapefruit and Cactus are in our thoughts whether we even realize what our subconscious is longing for.
I was excited a couple of weeks ago as I signed my son up for his second season in Little League. Driving home from the sign-up session melancholy took over as I realized just how long we will have to wait for the tryouts to arrive.
Yes it will be awhile but at least we can console ourselves with MLB.com, Classic games on television, ESPN mutterings telling us where our favorite players will be suiting up in 2010 and reading baseball blogs like this one. Yes, it will be awhile but we have one another. Anyone want to take a trip to Mexico to see some winter baseball south of the border? It might just get us by until we here those magical words, "Pitchers and Catchers reported to camp today".

My Photography

It's Just a Joke

Former President George W. Bush and his VP Dick Cheney are sitting in a bar. A guy walks in and asks the bartender, 'Isn't that Bush and Cheney sitting over there?'
The bartender says, 'Yep, that's them.'
Excited, the guy walks over and says, 'Wow, this is a real honor! What are you guys doing in here?'
Bush says, 'We're planning WW III.'
The guy says, 'Really? What's going to happen?'
Cheney says, 'Well, we're going to kill 140 million Muslims and one blonde with big breasts.'
Confused, the guy exclaimed, 'A blonde with big breasts? Why kill a blonde with big tits?'
Cheney turns to Bush and says, 'See, I told you, no one gives a shit about the 140 million Muslims.

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.