While I typically abhore commercials and fast forward thru them whenever I can, this spot by Dick's sporting goods chain, currently running every two minutes on MLB Network caught my eye. While I do agree that sometimes commercials make good, they're few and far between. This one is different.
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Thursday, April 04, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Spring Is In the Air.....
Baseball season is a little over 24 hours away.... and I cannot wait. Pizza bought for tomorrow night's Rangers season opener and fantasy draft team set. Here's hoping we can defend out draft championship.....
My 2013 team:
1B Adrian Gonzales
2B Martin Prado
3B Kevin Youkilis
SS Erick Aybar
OF Ryan Braun
OF Jose Bautista
OF Jason Heyward
OF Michael Bourne
OF Austin Jackson
OF Ryan Doumit
C AJ Piercynzki
Util Ryan Howard
Util JJ Hardy
Bench:
Adam Laroche
Justin Morneau
Jackie Bradley Jr (my rookie wild card since Mike Trout paid off well for me last season!)
Picthers:
Felix Hernandez
Gio Gonzales
Matt Harrison
Aroldis Chapman
Fernando Rodney
Ian Kennedy
Homer Bailey
Tyler Clippard
Santiago Casilla
My 2013 team:
1B Adrian Gonzales
2B Martin Prado
3B Kevin Youkilis
SS Erick Aybar
OF Ryan Braun
OF Jose Bautista
OF Jason Heyward
OF Michael Bourne
OF Austin Jackson
OF Ryan Doumit
C AJ Piercynzki
Util Ryan Howard
Util JJ Hardy
Bench:
Adam Laroche
Justin Morneau
Jackie Bradley Jr (my rookie wild card since Mike Trout paid off well for me last season!)
Picthers:
Felix Hernandez
Gio Gonzales
Matt Harrison
Aroldis Chapman
Fernando Rodney
Ian Kennedy
Homer Bailey
Tyler Clippard
Santiago Casilla
Friday, March 23, 2012
Let the Games begin
No, not a post about "The Hunger Games"..... but something more exciting and riveting. My 2012 fantasy baseball team.
Lineup:
Mike Napoli (C)
Albert Pujols (1st)
Brandon Phillips (2nd)
Emilio Bonifacio (3rd)
Jimmy Rollins (SS)
Eric Hosmer (Util)
Eric Aybar (Util)
Andrew McCutchen (OF)
Ben Revere (OF)
Mark Trumbo (OF)
Melky Cabrera (OF)
Josh Willingham (OF)
Raul Ibanez (OF)
Bench:
Neil Walker
Jhonny Peralta
Daniel Murphy
Picthing:
Roy Halladay
Tim Lincecum
Ian Kennedy
James Shields
Jair Jurrjeans
Joel Hanrahan
Jose Valverde
Jordan Walden
Drew Storen
Lineup:
Mike Napoli (C)
Albert Pujols (1st)
Brandon Phillips (2nd)
Emilio Bonifacio (3rd)
Jimmy Rollins (SS)
Eric Hosmer (Util)
Eric Aybar (Util)
Andrew McCutchen (OF)
Ben Revere (OF)
Mark Trumbo (OF)
Melky Cabrera (OF)
Josh Willingham (OF)
Raul Ibanez (OF)
Bench:
Neil Walker
Jhonny Peralta
Daniel Murphy
Picthing:
Roy Halladay
Tim Lincecum
Ian Kennedy
James Shields
Jair Jurrjeans
Joel Hanrahan
Jose Valverde
Jordan Walden
Drew Storen
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Rangers Roadtrip
Well, I can now scratch one more ballpark off my list. A trip to cloudy and cool Kansas City yielded one great baseball game and some damn fine bar-b-que.
Beautiful, open air ballpark that feels terrific.
Wash having fun and tossing batting practice to his boys.
Elvis warming up.
Derek warming up... and who should have gotten a win after that gem of a game he pitched Thursday night. Luckily, we saw the Wednesday night game where the Rangers did all they could to lose the game, then win it in thrilling extra innings fashion.
One thing I'll never forget about Kaufmann Stadium.... they actually have their "KC Cheer Crew" girls come up after an inning and toss hotdogs into the stands. I guess the vendor walking by could see the open-mouthed gap on our faces and quickly said... "Texas fans huh? Yea.. I think this is weird too. Just wait, later in the game they shoot the hot dogs out of canons."
Beautiful, open air ballpark that feels terrific.
Wash having fun and tossing batting practice to his boys.
Elvis warming up.
Derek warming up... and who should have gotten a win after that gem of a game he pitched Thursday night. Luckily, we saw the Wednesday night game where the Rangers did all they could to lose the game, then win it in thrilling extra innings fashion.
One thing I'll never forget about Kaufmann Stadium.... they actually have their "KC Cheer Crew" girls come up after an inning and toss hotdogs into the stands. I guess the vendor walking by could see the open-mouthed gap on our faces and quickly said... "Texas fans huh? Yea.. I think this is weird too. Just wait, later in the game they shoot the hot dogs out of canons."
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Top 5 List: Terror At the Ballpark
Well, the 2010 baseball season is over and my Rangers juts ran out of gas against a very good (and perhaps underrated) Giants team. This is definitely the worst time of year for me. There's just a huge void that arrives at night while channel surfing. No baseball anywhere. In honor of the 2010 season, here's 5 five films that prominently feature the sports ballpark.
5. For Love of the Game- A very good, and largely ignored, Sam Raimi film that spins a love story in flashback as an aging pitcher (Kevin Costner) pitches a perfect game. Psychological terror, to be sure. I don't know what it is about Costner and baseball films, but they just always work magnificently. It's not a perfect film by any stretch of the word, but it's constant inter cutting between the actual game, Costner's thoughts on the past 4-5 years of his life, and the mistakes he made in a relationship with Kelly Preston, all build up to an emotionally exhilarating finale. And it features John C. Reilly as a catcher. Rent it today with "Bull Durham" and "Field of Dreams" and really pine for the 2011 baseball season.
4. The Town- While I found Ben Affleck's film to be a lazy, exhaustive crime effort, it does have the brass to place its final heist in the bowels of historic Fenway Park. The overall impression is doomed a bit by Affleck's incomprehensible editing and directing of the shoot-out, but it still remains an interesting locale for a been-there-done-that trope. Boston overall is the choice du jour lately for crime movies, and "The Town" banks on its most cherished site to end with a bang.
3. Experiment In Terror- Yes, Blake Edwards did much more than comedies and "The Pink Panther", and this obscure little 1963 film is outstanding. Cited as a major influence on David Lynch, "Experiment In Terror" is basically like watching a Lynch film from 1963. From the town name of Twin Peaks to the emergence of a sinister killer in a bathroom that echoes that of Robert Blake's white-faced weirdo at a party in "Lost Highway", "Experiment In Terror" feels like a film way ahead of its time. And the use of San Francisco's Candlestick Park towards the end of the film between killer and victim (a wonderful Lee Remick) uses the crowds of a baseball park efficiently. How many times have you lost someone in a crowd and looked around as the sea of people wash you one direction? Edwards uses this confusion to heighten the tension. A great film.
2. Hickey and Boggs- Actor and star Robert Culp directed this grimy early 70's crime film with great veracity and it shows in the film's setpiece at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Private detectives Culp and Bill Cosby are on the hunt for a girl and a suitcase full of money. So are local Los Angeles hoods and they all culminate in the empty Coliseum stadium the day after a Rams game. It's a brilliantly edited scene that has people spying on other people, intricately cutting between bagman, detectives, snipers and the cautious girl with a suitcase. I had to rewind this scene twice just to marvel in the fluid exposition of silent dialogue cut short by rapid gunfire. Sadly not available on DVD, "Hickey and Boggs" is a terrific edition to the lazy, sunlit noirs of the early 70's L.A. like "The Long Goodbye" and "The Nickel Ride". Watch for it on TV.
1. Black Sunday- Did anyone really doubt Frankenheimer's "Black Sunday" would be left off this list? Probably the ultimate paranoid sports movie in the history of film, Bruce Dern is gangbusters as a warped blimp pilot out to kill everyone during the Super Bowl. Intertwining footage of Super Bowl X between the Cowboys and Steelers with fictional footage using thousands of extras, Frankenheimer's "Black Sunday" is a marvelous capstone to the over-the-top disaster films of the 70's.
5. For Love of the Game- A very good, and largely ignored, Sam Raimi film that spins a love story in flashback as an aging pitcher (Kevin Costner) pitches a perfect game. Psychological terror, to be sure. I don't know what it is about Costner and baseball films, but they just always work magnificently. It's not a perfect film by any stretch of the word, but it's constant inter cutting between the actual game, Costner's thoughts on the past 4-5 years of his life, and the mistakes he made in a relationship with Kelly Preston, all build up to an emotionally exhilarating finale. And it features John C. Reilly as a catcher. Rent it today with "Bull Durham" and "Field of Dreams" and really pine for the 2011 baseball season.
4. The Town- While I found Ben Affleck's film to be a lazy, exhaustive crime effort, it does have the brass to place its final heist in the bowels of historic Fenway Park. The overall impression is doomed a bit by Affleck's incomprehensible editing and directing of the shoot-out, but it still remains an interesting locale for a been-there-done-that trope. Boston overall is the choice du jour lately for crime movies, and "The Town" banks on its most cherished site to end with a bang.
3. Experiment In Terror- Yes, Blake Edwards did much more than comedies and "The Pink Panther", and this obscure little 1963 film is outstanding. Cited as a major influence on David Lynch, "Experiment In Terror" is basically like watching a Lynch film from 1963. From the town name of Twin Peaks to the emergence of a sinister killer in a bathroom that echoes that of Robert Blake's white-faced weirdo at a party in "Lost Highway", "Experiment In Terror" feels like a film way ahead of its time. And the use of San Francisco's Candlestick Park towards the end of the film between killer and victim (a wonderful Lee Remick) uses the crowds of a baseball park efficiently. How many times have you lost someone in a crowd and looked around as the sea of people wash you one direction? Edwards uses this confusion to heighten the tension. A great film.
2. Hickey and Boggs- Actor and star Robert Culp directed this grimy early 70's crime film with great veracity and it shows in the film's setpiece at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Private detectives Culp and Bill Cosby are on the hunt for a girl and a suitcase full of money. So are local Los Angeles hoods and they all culminate in the empty Coliseum stadium the day after a Rams game. It's a brilliantly edited scene that has people spying on other people, intricately cutting between bagman, detectives, snipers and the cautious girl with a suitcase. I had to rewind this scene twice just to marvel in the fluid exposition of silent dialogue cut short by rapid gunfire. Sadly not available on DVD, "Hickey and Boggs" is a terrific edition to the lazy, sunlit noirs of the early 70's L.A. like "The Long Goodbye" and "The Nickel Ride". Watch for it on TV.
1. Black Sunday- Did anyone really doubt Frankenheimer's "Black Sunday" would be left off this list? Probably the ultimate paranoid sports movie in the history of film, Bruce Dern is gangbusters as a warped blimp pilot out to kill everyone during the Super Bowl. Intertwining footage of Super Bowl X between the Cowboys and Steelers with fictional footage using thousands of extras, Frankenheimer's "Black Sunday" is a marvelous capstone to the over-the-top disaster films of the 70's.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
On First and Lasts
The Texas Rangers did it. Pushing it to five games on an opposing team's home turf isn't the ideal way to pull out a series win, but they did it. I officially have no fingernails left.
But it's all bittersweet. My family and I buried my father this week. Honestly, if the Rangers hadn't won today, I don't know if I could have dealt with everything. No, that's a lie. I could and would. When life throws you a curve ball, things like baseball and movies become menial activities. They help us cope.... take our mind off the loss... allow us to zone out and live in a fictionalized world where we can act like participants and believe we affect the outcome.... but its all nonexistent when someone you love dies. Yet its fitting that the Rangers won today. My dad is the one who transposed his love of baseball onto me and my family. An ardent admirer of the Yankees- and as my mom said tonight, it's going to be hard to root against either team in the ALCS- my father was the one who first put a baseball in my hand, watched me pitch throughout junior high and nervously sulked whenever I pitched in a game. As a kid, growing up in the small town of McGregor about 20 miles south of Waco, the stories from old friends of his are pouring in... describing long days of playing baseball and of the time the Yankees played an exhibition game in that small town in the mid 50's and my dad ran down the street, eventually catching up with the Yankees bus and having them all sign a baseball that sits on my parent's shelf today.
We collected baseball cards together (and he generously bought my entire collection when I was 12 or 13 and felt as if I'd outgrown the hobby, thereby keeping the cards in the family) and purchased cards off Ebay until his death. He was a hoarder... a fervernt list maker (one should see the stacks of notebooks with lists, want lists etc) and a history lover as he earned his bachelor's degree in the subject. He also passed over his love of movies to me. I'll never forget him coming home one day and watching a movie called "Goodfellas". I was 14 at the time and he told me I would appreciate this movie. I watched it, and that's the first movie that I remember recognizing a commanding presence behind the camera, exposing cinema as something more than my repeat viewings of "Pete's Dragon" or "Popeye" could ever reveal. He took me to R rated movies such as "Bull Durham" and "Beverly Hills Cop", understanding and respecting the fact that I understood the difference in artificial realities and the world we lived in. He respected me and I always loved him for that. Even further, I vividly remember the nights we'd saunter up to the church on the hill from our house, having a clear view of a drive-in theater across the highway, watching "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and trying to recall the dialogue together. It's the small moments such as these that feel so insignificant at the time, but reap huge benefits today.
My father wasn't always the best communicator and he was unconditionally hard on himself mentally for various reasons. My mother said he often commented that he had not been a good father. I would not have wanted any other father. His spirit, his generosity and his respect for intelligence have been so deeply instilled in my brother and I, that his influence is without question. My family will move on... we already miss our father dearly, but it's up to us to lead our lives in his wonderful example. Love ya dad.
But it's all bittersweet. My family and I buried my father this week. Honestly, if the Rangers hadn't won today, I don't know if I could have dealt with everything. No, that's a lie. I could and would. When life throws you a curve ball, things like baseball and movies become menial activities. They help us cope.... take our mind off the loss... allow us to zone out and live in a fictionalized world where we can act like participants and believe we affect the outcome.... but its all nonexistent when someone you love dies. Yet its fitting that the Rangers won today. My dad is the one who transposed his love of baseball onto me and my family. An ardent admirer of the Yankees- and as my mom said tonight, it's going to be hard to root against either team in the ALCS- my father was the one who first put a baseball in my hand, watched me pitch throughout junior high and nervously sulked whenever I pitched in a game. As a kid, growing up in the small town of McGregor about 20 miles south of Waco, the stories from old friends of his are pouring in... describing long days of playing baseball and of the time the Yankees played an exhibition game in that small town in the mid 50's and my dad ran down the street, eventually catching up with the Yankees bus and having them all sign a baseball that sits on my parent's shelf today.
We collected baseball cards together (and he generously bought my entire collection when I was 12 or 13 and felt as if I'd outgrown the hobby, thereby keeping the cards in the family) and purchased cards off Ebay until his death. He was a hoarder... a fervernt list maker (one should see the stacks of notebooks with lists, want lists etc) and a history lover as he earned his bachelor's degree in the subject. He also passed over his love of movies to me. I'll never forget him coming home one day and watching a movie called "Goodfellas". I was 14 at the time and he told me I would appreciate this movie. I watched it, and that's the first movie that I remember recognizing a commanding presence behind the camera, exposing cinema as something more than my repeat viewings of "Pete's Dragon" or "Popeye" could ever reveal. He took me to R rated movies such as "Bull Durham" and "Beverly Hills Cop", understanding and respecting the fact that I understood the difference in artificial realities and the world we lived in. He respected me and I always loved him for that. Even further, I vividly remember the nights we'd saunter up to the church on the hill from our house, having a clear view of a drive-in theater across the highway, watching "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and trying to recall the dialogue together. It's the small moments such as these that feel so insignificant at the time, but reap huge benefits today.
My father wasn't always the best communicator and he was unconditionally hard on himself mentally for various reasons. My mother said he often commented that he had not been a good father. I would not have wanted any other father. His spirit, his generosity and his respect for intelligence have been so deeply instilled in my brother and I, that his influence is without question. My family will move on... we already miss our father dearly, but it's up to us to lead our lives in his wonderful example. Love ya dad.
Friday, July 09, 2010
A Strange (and Finally Great) Week
First, the Dallas metroplex experienced this.
And now, Cliff Lee!!!!!!
Probably sold our souls and young Justin Smoak- who has looked a bit lost, offensively, for the past 2 months or so- may come back to haunt the Rangers in their 20 games a year against Seattle, but at least it shows the team is committed to making things happen this year. With Lee, Lewis, Wilson, Holland and Feldman making out the rotations, a lot of us fans feel comfortable with post season chances in a short series. God... I can't believe I'm saying the Rangers have a chance with the 4th lowest payroll in baseball this year..... and alot of high falootin ESPN folks agree to.
Finally, how awesome is this commercial:
And now, Cliff Lee!!!!!!
Probably sold our souls and young Justin Smoak- who has looked a bit lost, offensively, for the past 2 months or so- may come back to haunt the Rangers in their 20 games a year against Seattle, but at least it shows the team is committed to making things happen this year. With Lee, Lewis, Wilson, Holland and Feldman making out the rotations, a lot of us fans feel comfortable with post season chances in a short series. God... I can't believe I'm saying the Rangers have a chance with the 4th lowest payroll in baseball this year..... and alot of high falootin ESPN folks agree to.
Finally, how awesome is this commercial:
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Fantasy Baseball and all that
As I've said before, ESPN's 30 For 30 series is better than 90% of the films I've seen since the ambitious series began back in November of last year. Last night's episode focused on a silly little game called fantasy baseball and its (obsessive) humble beginnings in 1980 by a group of fervent baseball fanatics. While I can honestly say I've only jumped into the fray of the fantasy leagues a year ago, as a kid (also obsessed by baseball, both playing it and watching it), this type of interaction with a sport I dearly love is beyond words. I can remember spending endless hours playing old baseball board games as well as inventing my own: placing my baseball cards on the ground with the players in their respective positions and rolling dice for results. One was a single,two double, three triple, four out, five strikeout and 6 homerun, calculating the stats on pieces of paper over a month long period. Oh, if only these kids today could get off their cell phones.....
So I find myself in a very enjoyable league this season with some dear friends and some complete strangers, but it's just as time-consuming and possessive as "Silly Little Game" purports it to be. I log in 5-6 times a night to study the stat lines. I watch Baseball Tonight (after a Rangers loss, I'm sure) and closely watch for 'my guys' and their results. Really, what other reason would I have to care about how the Milwaukee Brewers do on a Tuesday night? Bottom line... its a helluva lotta fun. And depressing. I was in a solid fourth when I went to bed last night, and find myself eight out of ten tonight. A 3 point slide can do that type of destruction. As I type this post right now, listening to the Rangers/Red Sox in the background, I've checked my stats twice! But, if that's all I have to lament about, then I suppose I should be a very happy guy.
My Fantasy team in all its 2010 splendor:
Ivan Rodriguez- as a fan of Carlton Fisk since I was 10, I refuse to use the "Pudge" moniker! A week into the season, I dropped Geovany Soto and picked up Rodriguez. A great choice, as he currently leads the NL in batting average.
Ryan Howard
Dan Uggla
Ian Stewart- hopefully a small hidden homerun secret that will help me this year. Playing in Colorado helps too.
Erick Aybar
Jose Lopez
Adam LaRoche- really hurting me so far... under performing due to injury.
Jayson Werth
Shane Victorino
Jason Kubel- damn that new Target field looks nice. Maybe if work takes me back up there eventually, I can score tickets.
Jason Heyward- a steal on my part, if I may be so humble. My jaw dropped open when I drafted him for my last pick, stunned he was still there.
David Ortiz- had him on the bench since game 3. Big Papi looks to have lost it.
Carlos Gomez
Rickie Weeks
BJ Upton- steals mean so much in fantasy baseball
Jason Bay- man, he's gotta get thing going. I snapped him with one of my first picks, thinking a hot NY deal will energize him.... plus the low left field in Mets stadium when he was bashing homers over the Green Monster last year? Still early though...
Pitching:
Jon Lackey
Naftali Feliz- if only he'd get a chance over Frank Choke-sisco right now.
Mariano Rivera
Jake Peavy
James Shields
Octavio Dotel
Edwin Jackson
Darren O Day
Barry Zito
my WHIP is giving me great results. If you don't know WHIP, then this whole post probably made your eyes glaze over.
So I find myself in a very enjoyable league this season with some dear friends and some complete strangers, but it's just as time-consuming and possessive as "Silly Little Game" purports it to be. I log in 5-6 times a night to study the stat lines. I watch Baseball Tonight (after a Rangers loss, I'm sure) and closely watch for 'my guys' and their results. Really, what other reason would I have to care about how the Milwaukee Brewers do on a Tuesday night? Bottom line... its a helluva lotta fun. And depressing. I was in a solid fourth when I went to bed last night, and find myself eight out of ten tonight. A 3 point slide can do that type of destruction. As I type this post right now, listening to the Rangers/Red Sox in the background, I've checked my stats twice! But, if that's all I have to lament about, then I suppose I should be a very happy guy.
My Fantasy team in all its 2010 splendor:
Ivan Rodriguez- as a fan of Carlton Fisk since I was 10, I refuse to use the "Pudge" moniker! A week into the season, I dropped Geovany Soto and picked up Rodriguez. A great choice, as he currently leads the NL in batting average.
Ryan Howard
Dan Uggla
Ian Stewart- hopefully a small hidden homerun secret that will help me this year. Playing in Colorado helps too.
Erick Aybar
Jose Lopez
Adam LaRoche- really hurting me so far... under performing due to injury.
Jayson Werth
Shane Victorino
Jason Kubel- damn that new Target field looks nice. Maybe if work takes me back up there eventually, I can score tickets.
Jason Heyward- a steal on my part, if I may be so humble. My jaw dropped open when I drafted him for my last pick, stunned he was still there.
David Ortiz- had him on the bench since game 3. Big Papi looks to have lost it.
Carlos Gomez
Rickie Weeks
BJ Upton- steals mean so much in fantasy baseball
Jason Bay- man, he's gotta get thing going. I snapped him with one of my first picks, thinking a hot NY deal will energize him.... plus the low left field in Mets stadium when he was bashing homers over the Green Monster last year? Still early though...
Pitching:
Jon Lackey
Naftali Feliz- if only he'd get a chance over Frank Choke-sisco right now.
Mariano Rivera
Jake Peavy
James Shields
Octavio Dotel
Edwin Jackson
Darren O Day
Barry Zito
my WHIP is giving me great results. If you don't know WHIP, then this whole post probably made your eyes glaze over.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A Long, Strange, Fun Trip
Image courtesy of Tony Gutierrez posted at Lone Star Ball.
Ask any fan around here, and they'll tell you the '09 Rangers season was fun and electric, even if they did miss the playoffs due to some poor play in September. Until then, they gave the Angels and Red Sox some tense moments. Looking forward to next year, it's hard not to be excited about their prospects. Cheers, Rangers!
World Series prediction: Dodgers beat Yankees in seven.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I Still Can't Believe My Eyes
AL West Standings
W L PCT GB STRK
1. Texas 30 19 .612 0 Won 3
2. Los Angeles 24 24 .500 5.5 Lost 2
3. Seattle 24 26 .480 6.5 Won 3
4. Oakland 18 29 .382 11 Lost 4
Tough loss today against Oakland, yet the Rangers still took 3 out of 4. Winning series in baseball is what matters. But the best record in the AL? The huge dividends the entire pitching staff is showing? The sparkling defense (led by a young, exciting shortstop rookie that will become, in 2-3 years, the face of this franchise I'm sure)? Yep, all these things are contributing. I don't know if it'll last- some of the rickety leanings of the starting rotation are beginning to surface-but damn it's fun watching this team play some great baseball right now. And the talk here right now is that, possibly, the upcoming road trip to the dreaded East Coast against Yankees/Red Sox will be a defining moment in this early year for the Rangers. They continue to get little plugs in the national media here and there, but their underwhelming performance against the Yankees here in Texas last week was not good attention.... now its time to go that wiffle ball park... err new Yankee stadium... and see if the allure the Yanks hold over this team is over. Then Fenway. Then back here and a scrappy Blue Jay team. We'll see. Fingers crossed. Knocking on wood. I think this may be the year Playoff baseball returns to my fair burg and jeez everyone is pumped about this team.
W L PCT GB STRK
1. Texas 30 19 .612 0 Won 3
2. Los Angeles 24 24 .500 5.5 Lost 2
3. Seattle 24 26 .480 6.5 Won 3
4. Oakland 18 29 .382 11 Lost 4
Tough loss today against Oakland, yet the Rangers still took 3 out of 4. Winning series in baseball is what matters. But the best record in the AL? The huge dividends the entire pitching staff is showing? The sparkling defense (led by a young, exciting shortstop rookie that will become, in 2-3 years, the face of this franchise I'm sure)? Yep, all these things are contributing. I don't know if it'll last- some of the rickety leanings of the starting rotation are beginning to surface-but damn it's fun watching this team play some great baseball right now. And the talk here right now is that, possibly, the upcoming road trip to the dreaded East Coast against Yankees/Red Sox will be a defining moment in this early year for the Rangers. They continue to get little plugs in the national media here and there, but their underwhelming performance against the Yankees here in Texas last week was not good attention.... now its time to go that wiffle ball park... err new Yankee stadium... and see if the allure the Yanks hold over this team is over. Then Fenway. Then back here and a scrappy Blue Jay team. We'll see. Fingers crossed. Knocking on wood. I think this may be the year Playoff baseball returns to my fair burg and jeez everyone is pumped about this team.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Thank Goodness....
... that's it's time for this again:
And, for the first time ever, the fantasy league bug has bitten my friend Chris and I. My line-up is as follows:
C- Joe Mauer
1B- Adam LaRoche
2B- Placido Polanco
3B- Pedro Feliz
SS- Rafael Furcal
3B/SS- Michael Young
3B/SS- Joe Crede
OF- Carlos Quentin
OF- Jacoby Ellsbury
OF- David Murphy
OF- Jim Edmonds
OF- Hideki Matsui
Util- David DeJesus
P- Daisuke Matsuzaka
P- Scott Kazmir
P- Francisco Rodriguez
P- Cliff Lee
P- Edinson Volquez
P- Matt Garza
P- Troy Percival
P- Justin Masterson
P- Jered Weaver
I have to admit. This has been fun. From the draft (which, I quickly learned must be taken seriously and forced me to put down my beer and concentrate) to arranging the roster for opening day, any true baseball fan will get undeniable joy from it. Crunching numbers... keeping up with DL reports... playing the odds on when to sub in your bench players... it keeps you greatly invested. Granted, my list is a bit American League heavy (Rangers fan, remember) and I think I need to stretch myself more next time and expand my knowledge on NL players, but I look forward to enjoying the baseball season a little more this year. Oh yea... and I got Matsui!
And, for the first time ever, the fantasy league bug has bitten my friend Chris and I. My line-up is as follows:
C- Joe Mauer
1B- Adam LaRoche
2B- Placido Polanco
3B- Pedro Feliz
SS- Rafael Furcal
3B/SS- Michael Young
3B/SS- Joe Crede
OF- Carlos Quentin
OF- Jacoby Ellsbury
OF- David Murphy
OF- Jim Edmonds
OF- Hideki Matsui
Util- David DeJesus
P- Daisuke Matsuzaka
P- Scott Kazmir
P- Francisco Rodriguez
P- Cliff Lee
P- Edinson Volquez
P- Matt Garza
P- Troy Percival
P- Justin Masterson
P- Jered Weaver
I have to admit. This has been fun. From the draft (which, I quickly learned must be taken seriously and forced me to put down my beer and concentrate) to arranging the roster for opening day, any true baseball fan will get undeniable joy from it. Crunching numbers... keeping up with DL reports... playing the odds on when to sub in your bench players... it keeps you greatly invested. Granted, my list is a bit American League heavy (Rangers fan, remember) and I think I need to stretch myself more next time and expand my knowledge on NL players, but I look forward to enjoying the baseball season a little more this year. Oh yea... and I got Matsui!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Doldrums
What does 13-3 mean in the postseason for the past couple of years? That you'll lose in the first game you play. Ask the Giants, or the Panthers, or the Cowboys last year how a 12-4 or 13-3 record feels right now. Worthless. Watching the Titans lose to the Ravens last weekend didn't hurt as much as it used to when I was younger. There's so much more to worry about these days then the wins or losses of a football team. But it still stings when the team performs well all year, only to come out and be in the red zone 7 times and only come away with two scores. With running back Chris Johnson on the sidelines, Baltimore exposed what I feared all season- that Tennessee is definitely an offensively challenged team.
For the past few years, Championship Sunday has offered a couple intriguing match-ups. This year... I won't be watching either game. I could care less about Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or especially the Arizona Cardinals (they still have a football team??). And what hurts the worst, as it always does this time of year, is the lack of worthwhile sports on TV. I suppose now that I've got the Golf Channel in HD, that will bring some life to my sports watching, but unless I want to break down the shots on goal through power plays or suffer through an NBA season, my movie watching will certainly increase! All that's left now is to close my eyes, cross my fingers and dream about spring training in two months.
For the past few years, Championship Sunday has offered a couple intriguing match-ups. This year... I won't be watching either game. I could care less about Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or especially the Arizona Cardinals (they still have a football team??). And what hurts the worst, as it always does this time of year, is the lack of worthwhile sports on TV. I suppose now that I've got the Golf Channel in HD, that will bring some life to my sports watching, but unless I want to break down the shots on goal through power plays or suffer through an NBA season, my movie watching will certainly increase! All that's left now is to close my eyes, cross my fingers and dream about spring training in two months.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Dating Tips
With Texas Tech being served their first loss last night, I'm sure things are of major downer proportions in Lubbock. But no fear.... head coach Mike Leach has some dating tips. Be sure to listen to the last 10 seconds. Classic.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
There Goes My Hero
Forget what I wrote a few months back about this guy:
My new hero is this guy:
(Josh Hamilton, taken last weekend after batting practice)
My new hero is this guy:
(Josh Hamilton, taken last weekend after batting practice)
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
What's On My Mind... In Links
Still reeling from Josh Hamilton's walk-off 2 run shot over the Angels tonight, something has been nagging me that I've been meaning to pound out for several weeks now. Yes, there is an East coast bias (sorry to all the Red Sox fans I know read this blog!) Over the past few weeks, every game on ESPN and every Sportscenter highlight have involved Boston vs. Yankees, Yankees vs. Twins, Red Sox vs. Rays, and Sunday night the Mets vs god knows who. Please, break up the monotony and give us some heartland folks something to sink our teeth into. I'll be watching the Rangers anyway, but it'd be nice to flip over and see the occasional White Sox game or watch Arizona fall flat on their faces and lead the division with a .500 record.
And now, there's this inane story about Jason Giambi's freakin' moustache that has owned ESPN TV and radio for the past day. I had to turn off the radio last night after hearing Jason Smith on all-night radio spend 2 hours on this subject. Ridiculous. Anyway, yes, the bias does exist.
As a fan of Coast To Coast AM radio, I found this story somewhat compelling. Legendary occultist Aleister Crowley as a British spy?
With Tiger Woods done for the year, you could hear the collective sigh of relief when PGA tour phenom Anthony Kim won his second tourney last weekend in Washington DC. In between some terrific sporting events (baseball and Wimbeldon which really sucked me in), I flipped over to watch Kim's pretty flawless Sunday round, dropping approach shots within 10 feet and making some critical putts. With Tiger out, the tour needs someone like this to pump some fresh energy into the events.
And in the spirit of Weepingsam and his The Listening Ear blog, below is a bonus YouTube clip! From the Gutter Twins (Greg Dulli and ex Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan).
And now, there's this inane story about Jason Giambi's freakin' moustache that has owned ESPN TV and radio for the past day. I had to turn off the radio last night after hearing Jason Smith on all-night radio spend 2 hours on this subject. Ridiculous. Anyway, yes, the bias does exist.
As a fan of Coast To Coast AM radio, I found this story somewhat compelling. Legendary occultist Aleister Crowley as a British spy?
With Tiger Woods done for the year, you could hear the collective sigh of relief when PGA tour phenom Anthony Kim won his second tourney last weekend in Washington DC. In between some terrific sporting events (baseball and Wimbeldon which really sucked me in), I flipped over to watch Kim's pretty flawless Sunday round, dropping approach shots within 10 feet and making some critical putts. With Tiger out, the tour needs someone like this to pump some fresh energy into the events.
And in the spirit of Weepingsam and his The Listening Ear blog, below is a bonus YouTube clip! From the Gutter Twins (Greg Dulli and ex Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan).
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sports Spectacular
Even though the month of June is typically unbearably hot here in Texas, I love it for its array of sports. The Rangers are playing solid ball right now (scratching their way to .500, popping a game over, then under, then back over) and the ride has been fun. Not to mention, Josh Hamilton is becoming a modern day folk hero in these parts, rookie David Murphy is earning ALOT more jerseys at the ballpark and Michael Young/Ian Kinsler and hot tempered Milton Bradley are all adding their two cents to the Rangers offensive strikes. It's really fun to watch this team come together after a horrible April. Boston Red Sox, here we come! Or maybe I should direct that towards the Chicago Cubs who look like the real deal right now. But none of that matters if the Angels don't slow down, either.
And from baseball, we switch to the US Open at Torrey Pines... a course yielding unique first day results (Steelerman? Hicks? In the words of "Tin Cup", who are these guys?) As a lover and player of golf, nothing is more exciting than watching the world's best players stumble and scramble and hack their way out of 7 inch rough. Makes me feel a little better when I stumble and scramble and hack my way around a golf course. And all of this in Primetime for the first time in years. It's going to be a great weekend. I hear there's something big happening in the NBA as well, but since I despise the sport, I'm hoping the Celtics close the door over the next 2 games so we can all move on and be relieved of having to hear Stepehn A. Smith each night on Sportscenter.
So, I'll be driving home to spend Father's Day with the family. Expect light posts around here the next couple of weeks. I'll be traveling to Los Angeles for the first time next week as well to spend 3 days with friends and soak up Hollywood. Dodgers game Friday night, sight seeing the other days. Lots of pictures should follow.
And from baseball, we switch to the US Open at Torrey Pines... a course yielding unique first day results (Steelerman? Hicks? In the words of "Tin Cup", who are these guys?) As a lover and player of golf, nothing is more exciting than watching the world's best players stumble and scramble and hack their way out of 7 inch rough. Makes me feel a little better when I stumble and scramble and hack my way around a golf course. And all of this in Primetime for the first time in years. It's going to be a great weekend. I hear there's something big happening in the NBA as well, but since I despise the sport, I'm hoping the Celtics close the door over the next 2 games so we can all move on and be relieved of having to hear Stepehn A. Smith each night on Sportscenter.
So, I'll be driving home to spend Father's Day with the family. Expect light posts around here the next couple of weeks. I'll be traveling to Los Angeles for the first time next week as well to spend 3 days with friends and soak up Hollywood. Dodgers game Friday night, sight seeing the other days. Lots of pictures should follow.
Friday, April 25, 2008
I Ain't Superstitious
Part of the reason why I love baseball so much is its reliance on tradition, unwritten rules and colorful history. Watch Ken Burns' 14 hour documentary, "Baseball" and you'd be hard pressed not to come away with an even greater appreciation for baseball's complex history of anecdotes. And, in a sport built around exaggerated hand gestures and strategic compromise, its amazing how much the sport is reliant on superstition. Think of that great scene in "Bull Durham" (culled from real life since director Ron Shelton played minor league ball for several years) where Jose (Rick Marzan) approaches the pitcher's mound, terrified out of his mind because his wife put a hex on his bat. The only thing that would cure the hex was the blood from a live chicken. And then "Major League" where Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) prayed to Buddha before every game. In the topsy-turvey real life season so far this April, superstition and hexes have come full circle to imprint their mystical charm on baseball fans.
Hexes in baseball can be attributed back to the Babe Ruth curse when he was traded from Boston to the Yankees back in the day, a curse that was finally broken in '04 when the Sox reclaimed the title (so there's hope for all curses then, I suppose?). And, those lovable loser Cubs certainly have had their share of otherworldly curses, beginning with the infamous billy goat incident, its brush with a black cat in '69, and more recently, that poor sap named Bartman. Wow, now that's some misery.
If the controversy between the Red Sox and Yankees isn't enough, there was the great story earlier this month when a construction worker tried to bury a David Ortiz jersey in the foundation of the new Yankee stadium. This could've been a curse for the ages. Equal to a 8.5 quake hitting California, this would have sent the Yankee organization into a tailspin. Why in the hell did the guy blab? Could you imagine releasing this info a year or 2 after the stadium was finished? The Steinbrenner family would nuke the whole stadium, find the jersey and start all over. Bottom line- when you pull a great jinx, keep it to yourself until the time is right. And then, earlier this week, another black cat sprang from nowhere and jumped onto the playing field and (possibly) cursed the Yankees season (you tube below). ESPN reporters joked that it looked like the same cat from the '69 Cubs season. In a sport full of nervous twitches- i.e. pitchers and their fascination with rubbing the brim of their hat and licking fingers.... or the way a third baseman will methodically and religiously groom the dirt in front of him before each inning- superstition is king and baseball players do not forget such things.
Locally, Dallas has experienced its own brush with the jinx, evoked several years ago by politicians anxious to crown a hometown team champion. It was 2005 and the Dallas Mavericks had advanced to the NBA finals. After taking a two games to nil lead in the series, mayor Laura Miller announced the proposed route for the title parade through downtown. After that announcement, the Mavericks lost 4 straight games. Since that series, not a single professional Dallas sports team had made it out the first round of ANY playoffs. The Mavericks were knocked out by a lackluster Golden State last year, the Cowboys (who many picked to win the Super Bowl last year- glad that didn't happen tho!) lost in the first round of their playoffs, and the Stars (until this year again, curse broken) had failed to exit the first round as well. 'Loserville' talk was in full swing, and Dallas sports fans still refer to it as 'the announcement' that's turned this town into a sports sinkhole. All I can say, with the exception of the Rangers who need no curse to be godawful, I'm kinda glad I don't have a rooting interest in any of those other 3 teams mentioned. Otherwise, I'd be very close to jumping off the ledge.
So, of this got me thinking. Is there anything to it? Probably not, but I love how personal psychology plays such an important role in the actions and outcomes of our lives. I'm sure there are a host of rituals that athletes go there in preparing themselves but how exactly does one prepare for a black cat to burst onto the playing field during a MLB game? I would guess none. It all depends on your personal belief in things. I know some friends who take ample stock in horoscopes or fortune cookies (!). I believe you make your own luck. And if I got freaked out every time I had a black cat cross my path, I don't know if I'd make it out of the house. Plus, I used to have a black cat as a pretty cool pet, so I'm partial there. If nothing else, the succession of superstitious acts prevalent in baseball this season has added some nice fun to the mix. And, I guess the joke's really on us since the Ortiz jersey dug up from beneath Yankee stadium sold for close to $200,000 yesterday.
Hexes in baseball can be attributed back to the Babe Ruth curse when he was traded from Boston to the Yankees back in the day, a curse that was finally broken in '04 when the Sox reclaimed the title (so there's hope for all curses then, I suppose?). And, those lovable loser Cubs certainly have had their share of otherworldly curses, beginning with the infamous billy goat incident, its brush with a black cat in '69, and more recently, that poor sap named Bartman. Wow, now that's some misery.
If the controversy between the Red Sox and Yankees isn't enough, there was the great story earlier this month when a construction worker tried to bury a David Ortiz jersey in the foundation of the new Yankee stadium. This could've been a curse for the ages. Equal to a 8.5 quake hitting California, this would have sent the Yankee organization into a tailspin. Why in the hell did the guy blab? Could you imagine releasing this info a year or 2 after the stadium was finished? The Steinbrenner family would nuke the whole stadium, find the jersey and start all over. Bottom line- when you pull a great jinx, keep it to yourself until the time is right. And then, earlier this week, another black cat sprang from nowhere and jumped onto the playing field and (possibly) cursed the Yankees season (you tube below). ESPN reporters joked that it looked like the same cat from the '69 Cubs season. In a sport full of nervous twitches- i.e. pitchers and their fascination with rubbing the brim of their hat and licking fingers.... or the way a third baseman will methodically and religiously groom the dirt in front of him before each inning- superstition is king and baseball players do not forget such things.
Locally, Dallas has experienced its own brush with the jinx, evoked several years ago by politicians anxious to crown a hometown team champion. It was 2005 and the Dallas Mavericks had advanced to the NBA finals. After taking a two games to nil lead in the series, mayor Laura Miller announced the proposed route for the title parade through downtown. After that announcement, the Mavericks lost 4 straight games. Since that series, not a single professional Dallas sports team had made it out the first round of ANY playoffs. The Mavericks were knocked out by a lackluster Golden State last year, the Cowboys (who many picked to win the Super Bowl last year- glad that didn't happen tho!) lost in the first round of their playoffs, and the Stars (until this year again, curse broken) had failed to exit the first round as well. 'Loserville' talk was in full swing, and Dallas sports fans still refer to it as 'the announcement' that's turned this town into a sports sinkhole. All I can say, with the exception of the Rangers who need no curse to be godawful, I'm kinda glad I don't have a rooting interest in any of those other 3 teams mentioned. Otherwise, I'd be very close to jumping off the ledge.
So, of this got me thinking. Is there anything to it? Probably not, but I love how personal psychology plays such an important role in the actions and outcomes of our lives. I'm sure there are a host of rituals that athletes go there in preparing themselves but how exactly does one prepare for a black cat to burst onto the playing field during a MLB game? I would guess none. It all depends on your personal belief in things. I know some friends who take ample stock in horoscopes or fortune cookies (!). I believe you make your own luck. And if I got freaked out every time I had a black cat cross my path, I don't know if I'd make it out of the house. Plus, I used to have a black cat as a pretty cool pet, so I'm partial there. If nothing else, the succession of superstitious acts prevalent in baseball this season has added some nice fun to the mix. And, I guess the joke's really on us since the Ortiz jersey dug up from beneath Yankee stadium sold for close to $200,000 yesterday.
Friday, April 18, 2008
2008 Version of the Bad News Bears?
It's nowhere near as dire as my title suggests, but the '08 baseball season so far has yielded little excitement for Texas Rangers fans. As I write this, I"m watching the Red Sox put a pounding on them 9-3. And with three more games in the series, dare I say a sweep? With a 7-9 record (or about to be 7-10) there's still some hope, and there are surprise stars so far this season, namely young sprite David Murphy. And Josh Hamilton is paying off. And Padillo pitched a hell of a game last night beating Roy Halladay. But, overall, the basics just aren't there for the Rangers. They're making some atrocious fielding errors and can't quite come up with that timely hit (hitting .183 with runners in scoring position.. ouch). I can count at least 3 games that would've been W's if the fielding was there- yes I'm lookin at you Marlon Byrd.
Around the league, a few surprises so far. The Marlins are getting it done with some great young talent. The White Sox and Roylas have pretty much turned the AL central upside down, and The Diamondbacks 11-4? Interesting. Still, it's a long season. And boy do I love baseball. Even with the Stars hoping to make it out of the first round against the Anaheim Ducks (hockey? please.. give me a break) and the Mavericks poised for another playoff collapse (basketball.. ehh really don't care and these playoffs runs for what, 2-3 months? ridiculous), my mind is strictly focused on the diamond. I love this time of year.
Around the league, a few surprises so far. The Marlins are getting it done with some great young talent. The White Sox and Roylas have pretty much turned the AL central upside down, and The Diamondbacks 11-4? Interesting. Still, it's a long season. And boy do I love baseball. Even with the Stars hoping to make it out of the first round against the Anaheim Ducks (hockey? please.. give me a break) and the Mavericks poised for another playoff collapse (basketball.. ehh really don't care and these playoffs runs for what, 2-3 months? ridiculous), my mind is strictly focused on the diamond. I love this time of year.
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