One more flower pot from the front yard. Another blue lobella with white asylum and a few pink dianthus poking their head above the crowd. This pot gets 50% sun now and will get 75%-80% during the summer. More soon.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Nightsongs
They've been at it for about six weeks now. They never did it before. We don't know how long it's going to last. It starts in the dead of night. It lasts for about 45 minutes. There's more than one doing it. You can tell by their voices. Some warble. Some chirp. Some whistle. They're birds and for some odd reason they're awake.
The neighborhood is full of birdsounds during the day. I've sat on the porch and listened to their songs. There are love songs, mocking songs, and odes to worms and bugs. There are songs for the bees and songs of the trees, and songs that make fun of me. They sometimes call their flockmates, who are keeping vigil down the block. If all is well the caller stays put, if not the caller takes flight.
At night, the chirping is localized; the epicenter of chirpdom is in the backyard. I have my theories as to why:
1. Local cats are prowling the backfences and the birds have posted sentries to hector and annoy the cats away.
2. The suburbanization of the desert has reduced habitat and led to overcrowding in the available habitat. Perhaps a grackle is snoring and bothers the wren who doesn't care for the sparrow who is nesting with her young?
3. I am being serenaded for my gardening acumen.
For 45 minutes in the dead of night, in the wee hours of the morning, a handful of birds are up and chirping. Then, just as mysteriously as it began, it's finished. The neighborhood is silent. There's no noise until the first hints of dawn appear in the east. Then, the cantor bird, the bird meuzzin flys to the tip of the songtree and calls all life awake. This song is loud, authoritative, and soon his song is answered by a bird down the block. In time nature's chorus has assembled and the songs of life reignite another day.
One of these nights, I am going to drag myself out there to listen and look for what's going on. More about this then.
The neighborhood is full of birdsounds during the day. I've sat on the porch and listened to their songs. There are love songs, mocking songs, and odes to worms and bugs. There are songs for the bees and songs of the trees, and songs that make fun of me. They sometimes call their flockmates, who are keeping vigil down the block. If all is well the caller stays put, if not the caller takes flight.
At night, the chirping is localized; the epicenter of chirpdom is in the backyard. I have my theories as to why:
1. Local cats are prowling the backfences and the birds have posted sentries to hector and annoy the cats away.
2. The suburbanization of the desert has reduced habitat and led to overcrowding in the available habitat. Perhaps a grackle is snoring and bothers the wren who doesn't care for the sparrow who is nesting with her young?
3. I am being serenaded for my gardening acumen.
For 45 minutes in the dead of night, in the wee hours of the morning, a handful of birds are up and chirping. Then, just as mysteriously as it began, it's finished. The neighborhood is silent. There's no noise until the first hints of dawn appear in the east. Then, the cantor bird, the bird meuzzin flys to the tip of the songtree and calls all life awake. This song is loud, authoritative, and soon his song is answered by a bird down the block. In time nature's chorus has assembled and the songs of life reignite another day.
One of these nights, I am going to drag myself out there to listen and look for what's going on. More about this then.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Hibiscus, Anyone?
I purchased a beatiful 10-gallon Hibiscus two weeks ago. It has produced two spectacular flowers and has a couple of large buds ready to pop onto the scene. I put the plant in a pot and set it on the back porch. It has southern exposure so it gets plenty of sun. My friend Paul, the garden expert at the nearest Home Depot, tells me I should soak it every other day to maintain it's beauty throughout the summer. Looking forward to that challenge although I have a well-shaded spot if things start to go wrong.
I've been paying close attention to the hibiscus every day. It gets a good soaking at least once a week. Also, I've been watching a bed of California Poppies that I have been growing from seed. No flowers yet, but I do see plenty of plant life. I have them against the east wall and they haven't had a full day of sun. They'll get more as the sun moves farther into the summer sky. We're may get our first sunny sky 80 degree week of the Spring. Looking for good things from the garden.
I trimmed some of the geranium, petunia, pansy, dianthus, and lobella that have thrived througout the moist winter. Much respect for the dianthus and petunia who have kept containers bright and flowery throughout the summer and winter. Plus, they'd make good old Gregor Mendell proud. If you plant a white near a red, they'll spawn buds in all color between, especially dianthus who not only throw different colors, they create variaitions with very cool geometric and kalidescopic rings of accent color. All hail, dianthus!
I've been paying close attention to the hibiscus every day. It gets a good soaking at least once a week. Also, I've been watching a bed of California Poppies that I have been growing from seed. No flowers yet, but I do see plenty of plant life. I have them against the east wall and they haven't had a full day of sun. They'll get more as the sun moves farther into the summer sky. We're may get our first sunny sky 80 degree week of the Spring. Looking for good things from the garden.
I trimmed some of the geranium, petunia, pansy, dianthus, and lobella that have thrived througout the moist winter. Much respect for the dianthus and petunia who have kept containers bright and flowery throughout the summer and winter. Plus, they'd make good old Gregor Mendell proud. If you plant a white near a red, they'll spawn buds in all color between, especially dianthus who not only throw different colors, they create variaitions with very cool geometric and kalidescopic rings of accent color. All hail, dianthus!
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Friday, March 25, 2005
ELHS 2005 Varsity Baseball Schedule
Go Trojans! If you check the schedule, you'll see that today's practice is in the main gym. I remember practice in the gym. It was too cold and wet to play ball outside. Smedley, using the famous blue-handled fungo, hit rubber-coated baseballs to us that took wicked hops off the polished hardwood gym floor. A cup was a must. You never could tell what type of spin would generate off the third hop. No such thing as the Lou Boudreau Sunday Hop while practicing in the gym.
One practice Smedley hit me five nasty, spinning hoppers. The first was hit to my left. The second was to my right. He kept it up. Each ball was a hit a half-step farther in the opposite direction that the last. By the fifth I was gassed. I pulled the ball from my first-baseman's glove, wheeled and fired a wild, hard dart that travelled half-way across the gym, passed well over cather Frank Thoreau's head, and crashed into the basketball stands, which were folded and stacked directly behind Smedley and Thoreau. Smedley glared at me in his patented dark, menancing, all-business, all-Smedley manner. He smirked. Shook his head. And hit me five more all of which were hit harder and made me move quicker and farther than the first five.
One practice Smedley hit me five nasty, spinning hoppers. The first was hit to my left. The second was to my right. He kept it up. Each ball was a hit a half-step farther in the opposite direction that the last. By the fifth I was gassed. I pulled the ball from my first-baseman's glove, wheeled and fired a wild, hard dart that travelled half-way across the gym, passed well over cather Frank Thoreau's head, and crashed into the basketball stands, which were folded and stacked directly behind Smedley and Thoreau. Smedley glared at me in his patented dark, menancing, all-business, all-Smedley manner. He smirked. Shook his head. And hit me five more all of which were hit harder and made me move quicker and farther than the first five.
Gardening Ads
My gardening post caused the Google Bots to reasses my sit and then throw a gardening ad to the site. It took the software about 36 hours to recognize the the words, recalibrate my site's meta data, and then fire a gardening ad my way. Not bad Google. Not bad.
Gardening Friends: if you need some tomato stakes or tree wire, I can fix you up.
Gardening Friends: if you need some tomato stakes or tree wire, I can fix you up.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Meet Miguel Batista, New Closer for the Diamondhacks
I've always admired Miguel Batista. He's one of the most interesting dudes ever to play for the Diamondbacks. You may remember him from the 2001 World Series where he pitched 8 glorious, nerve-wracking, shutout innings in Game 4 only to have his masterpiece shattered by the first of B.K. Kim's infamous Yankee Stadium meltdowns. Batista is a novelist, musician, and humanitarian; he's quiet and literate unlike many of his baseball brethren. Batista writes Spanish-language mysteries, plays many instruments including some wild Andean woodwinds, and while in AZ he spent his personal time and money bringing baseball to remote Indian Reservations.
Anyway, the Blue Jays have made MB their closer. You know that I want another primary closer. So, I just waived Dustin Hermanson and picked up MB. It's hunch. I am not afraid to play them, especially when I've seen the player play. The key is how long to do you hang if everything goes South.
Welcome to the D-Hacks, Miguel. Now get out there and get somebody out.
Anyway, the Blue Jays have made MB their closer. You know that I want another primary closer. So, I just waived Dustin Hermanson and picked up MB. It's hunch. I am not afraid to play them, especially when I've seen the player play. The key is how long to do you hang if everything goes South.
Welcome to the D-Hacks, Miguel. Now get out there and get somebody out.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Stay with Me as I Play with the Format
As you can see I am playing around, experimenting with formats, pictures, etc. You can add a comment, too.
Garden Spot
At last count, I have @ 15 flowering containers and baskets in the backyard and @ 9 in-ground plants and bushes. The front yard has six flowering containers. I started gardening last spring, nursed a handful through the brutal AZ summer, and went bannanas doubling the number of flowering containers in the fall.
In green thumb terms, I am still a beginner, but I have to tell you: flowering plants and bushes are an amazing entertainment value. Never did I think I would get such satisfaction out of nursing, pruning, and just plain old looking at stuff.
The backyard food chain now contains plants crawly insects, flying insects, lizards, and birds all of whom provide sustenance for one another in nature's onging drama.
Like Gulliver, I sit and watch the Lilliputian theatre. Two birds sit on the back fence and gauge my intent. Satisfield I am no threat for the moment, they take wing and swoop onto the Lantana bush now rich in flower and berries. With a few quick jumps bird number one finds some internal bough; I can see are branches bobbing and leaves shaking. Bird number two, beaten to the best munching spot, takes flight, looks my way, and calls at me as it lites on the back fence. With another squawk, bird number two heads for places unknown.
Summer is coming. The backyard is solid southern exposure, which means that all the containers and plants will get five months of blistering high desert sunlight. I have laid in bushes and flowering plants that are drought-tolerant. They stand proud and produce wonderful, beautiful flowers despite the harsh conditions. Some these desert blooming beauties are no bigger than a fingertip, yet they're perfectly formed and breathtaking in color.
I don't have any favorites, not yet anyway. I am still in the joyous discovery stage in which any action that I take which is reciprocated by a plant is a revelation, a celebration, and another point toward my planetary partner merit badge.
In green thumb terms, I am still a beginner, but I have to tell you: flowering plants and bushes are an amazing entertainment value. Never did I think I would get such satisfaction out of nursing, pruning, and just plain old looking at stuff.
The backyard food chain now contains plants crawly insects, flying insects, lizards, and birds all of whom provide sustenance for one another in nature's onging drama.
Like Gulliver, I sit and watch the Lilliputian theatre. Two birds sit on the back fence and gauge my intent. Satisfield I am no threat for the moment, they take wing and swoop onto the Lantana bush now rich in flower and berries. With a few quick jumps bird number one finds some internal bough; I can see are branches bobbing and leaves shaking. Bird number two, beaten to the best munching spot, takes flight, looks my way, and calls at me as it lites on the back fence. With another squawk, bird number two heads for places unknown.
Summer is coming. The backyard is solid southern exposure, which means that all the containers and plants will get five months of blistering high desert sunlight. I have laid in bushes and flowering plants that are drought-tolerant. They stand proud and produce wonderful, beautiful flowers despite the harsh conditions. Some these desert blooming beauties are no bigger than a fingertip, yet they're perfectly formed and breathtaking in color.
I don't have any favorites, not yet anyway. I am still in the joyous discovery stage in which any action that I take which is reciprocated by a plant is a revelation, a celebration, and another point toward my planetary partner merit badge.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Bonds Out for Season?
Is anyone shedding any tears? Perhaps all dudes with Bonds on their team. Bonds the best of all time? Not here.
Urbina to Cubs? Mets?
Joe Borowski, the Cubs ertswhile closer broke his hand yesterday. He'll be out for some time. Bad luck for the Cubbies may be good luck for my beloved Diamondhacks. As you may remember, my diamondhacks don't have an everyday, front-line closer. The closest I come is the Tigers Uggie Urbina, who is the Tigs #2 closer behind the redoubtable Troy Percival. The Cubs may be in the market; the Tigs have a surplus. Ergo, Urbina may end up as the Cubbies primary closer. Word has it the Mets are interested in Uggie, too.
All I ask is for a front-line closer. Otherwise, I'll be pummeled in the relief pitcher category. My aim is get points for being mid-pack or above. If you get too far behind too early, its nearly impossible to make up and ground on the leaders.
Unrelated comment: The Schiavo story. Memories of my brother, my sister, my brother-in-law, the doctor, and myself. We're in a tiny room in a hospital. The doctor gives us the clinical synopsis. He leaves. We're left to confront the future, the past, and most dreadfully, the present. We were rational, logical, summoning all the courage and strength we'd inherited. We decided. It was our responsibility. It wasn't easy. Our underlying religious training gave us the moral courage to do what was correct for the situation. Our underlying religious training did not dictate our behavior.
Pax Vobiscum
All I ask is for a front-line closer. Otherwise, I'll be pummeled in the relief pitcher category. My aim is get points for being mid-pack or above. If you get too far behind too early, its nearly impossible to make up and ground on the leaders.
Unrelated comment: The Schiavo story. Memories of my brother, my sister, my brother-in-law, the doctor, and myself. We're in a tiny room in a hospital. The doctor gives us the clinical synopsis. He leaves. We're left to confront the future, the past, and most dreadfully, the present. We were rational, logical, summoning all the courage and strength we'd inherited. We decided. It was our responsibility. It wasn't easy. Our underlying religious training gave us the moral courage to do what was correct for the situation. Our underlying religious training did not dictate our behavior.
Pax Vobiscum
Monday, March 21, 2005
NCAA Tourney Update: NC State is my last hope. They'll play the rough and tumble Wisconsin Badgers this week. Don't know the spread. NCST will have to get points, right? Hope the Pete Carill motion offense runs the Badgers ragged.
Javier Vazquez, whom the D-Backs picked up in the Randy Johnson, has sparkled this spring. He threw @ 80 pitches yesterday and gave up one hit through six innings. I like Vazquez, nothing against RJ, but I am glad we have JV and the Yanks have RJ.
We were lucky to have Curt Schilling and Randy together for a couple years. For my dough, Schilling was the dominator. RJ was the intimidator. I'd take CS over RJ any day. Here's why: people get over being intimidated; people rarely get over being dominated. Schilling's control is better than Randy. Schilling can hit spots better than Randy. Look for Schilling to dominate again this year, if healthy. Look for Randy to have a less than terrific season on and off the field in NY.
Javier Vazquez, whom the D-Backs picked up in the Randy Johnson, has sparkled this spring. He threw @ 80 pitches yesterday and gave up one hit through six innings. I like Vazquez, nothing against RJ, but I am glad we have JV and the Yanks have RJ.
We were lucky to have Curt Schilling and Randy together for a couple years. For my dough, Schilling was the dominator. RJ was the intimidator. I'd take CS over RJ any day. Here's why: people get over being intimidated; people rarely get over being dominated. Schilling's control is better than Randy. Schilling can hit spots better than Randy. Look for Schilling to dominate again this year, if healthy. Look for Randy to have a less than terrific season on and off the field in NY.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Need to dive into another writing project. Will take most of the day. This will be brief.
Dire developments in Mesa. Kerry Wood is hurt again. People who watch for such things attribute his string of injuries to his inconsistent, hard-throwing motion. Seems Wood rarely uses the same motion for consective pitches. All he does consistently is throw hard. His poor mechanics plus hard throwing equals regular, chronic injuries. Some say Wood is better suited to the closer role. The thinking there is that closers throw fewer pitches per outing than starters. The same thinking is that Wood would be a dynamite, imposing, hard-throwing closer. More here.
Everyone needs a premiere closer. However, the Cubs were looking for Wood, Pryor (who's experiencing more arm trouble this spring, too), and Zambrano to become this generation's version of Glavine, Maddox, and Smotlz. Maybe not.
The Cubs have their fingers crossed, as they should.
Dire developments in Mesa. Kerry Wood is hurt again. People who watch for such things attribute his string of injuries to his inconsistent, hard-throwing motion. Seems Wood rarely uses the same motion for consective pitches. All he does consistently is throw hard. His poor mechanics plus hard throwing equals regular, chronic injuries. Some say Wood is better suited to the closer role. The thinking there is that closers throw fewer pitches per outing than starters. The same thinking is that Wood would be a dynamite, imposing, hard-throwing closer. More here.
Everyone needs a premiere closer. However, the Cubs were looking for Wood, Pryor (who's experiencing more arm trouble this spring, too), and Zambrano to become this generation's version of Glavine, Maddox, and Smotlz. Maybe not.
The Cubs have their fingers crossed, as they should.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
A sad e-mail from a friend notes the passing of the great Dick Radatz, who became the apotheosis of relievers.
From the "Everyman" blog of my old law partner and friend Ed McCabe:
The Passing Of A Monster
Topic: Musings Of A Hopelessly Hopeful Fan
Posted by Everyman - 09:48:36 EST
Dick Radatz, closer extraordinaire of my beloved Red Sox, died in a fall at his home yesterday. He was 67.
As explained by Bill Monbouquette - a pretty good pitcher in his own right, and a teammate - Radatz was one-of-a-kind, the likes of which had never been seen before and, indeed, have never been seen since. The sports page obituary appears in today's Boston Globe.
"He was the best," said former Sox teammate Bill Monbouquette, reached last night by phone in Lakeland, Fla., where he is a minor league pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers. ''How would I say the best? When you compare him to other guys, they couldn't do what he did. Three innings one day, maybe four the next, one the next day, and three more the next.
"Relievers today throw one inning. Dick almost never pitched just an inning."
In one memorable two-game span, Mr. Radatz pitched 15 innings, 6 in one game, then 9 of an extra-inning game the next night.
"I never used to give the ball to the manager when he'd come to get me," Monbouquette said. "I'd wait to give it to the guy coming into the game. I used to say to Dick, 'You'd better get these guys out or I'm going to kick your [butt],' He'd say, 'Go in the clubhouse, crack me a Bud, and I'll be right up.' And he would.' "
Radatz won the name "The Monster" well before anyone thought to give it to the Fenway Park left field wall.
"The Monster" nickname was born in 1963, after a game against the Yankees in Fenway Park in which Mr. Radatz entered with the bases loaded and struck out Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Elston Howard -- all American League MVPs at one time -- on a total of 10 pitches.
It was after that game that Mr. Radatz punched the sky, a gesture he forgot about making until legendary Sox broadcaster Curt Gowdy reminded him of it the next day.
Mantle, the story goes, was heard to grumble about "that monster" afterward, and a nickname was born. Newspaper reports say Mr. Radatz faced Mantle, a Hall of Famer, 63 times, and struck him out 47 times.
"Mickey used to say, 'Damn it, I know what he's going to throw and I still can't hit it," Monbouquette said. ''I think he hit one home run off Dick, in Yankee Stadium, and I think Dick broke his bat.
"Just to watch him, you knew you had no chance against him," Monbouquette said. "He had no offspeed pitch, but he threw 95, 96, he had great location and he'd come right at you, get you 0 and 2 and just blow you away. He was a pure power guy."
Mr. Radatz won or saved 33 of Boston's 76 wins in 1962; 40 of Boston's 76 wins in 1963; 45 of Boston's 72 wins in 1964; and 31 of Boston's 62 wins in 1965. He led the American League in saves in 1962 and 1964 and made the All-Star team in 1963 and 1964.
He was, of course, never "Mr. Radatz" to us. He was just "Dick".
R.I.P., Dick.
And thanks for the memories.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Got my team assignments for my favorite NCAA pool this a.m. 16 people get 4 teams, one for each bracket. Players are assigned teams based upon random draw. For instance, my teams are Utah State, GA Tech, NC State, and Vermont. Here's how you win/lose in our pool. All games are played against a published Vegas point spread. If you have the favorite and your team covers the spread, you and your team move onto the next round. If your team is favored and your team doesn't cover the point spread, you surrender your team to your opponent. When the spread includes a 1/2 point the spread rounds up to the next number. Not bad, eh? It's genius.
Theoretically, you could have four teams in the Final Four. History has proven that you'll be lucky to get out of the first weekend with one team in play, two teams at the most.
Point spreads reflect money invested in teams, right? A good bookie sets a line that draws equal cash from each side of the proposition. Consider this delta between the bookies and the NCAA Selection committee.
NC State is a 10 seed who plays North Carolina, Charlotte a 7 seed. NC State, the 10 seed, is giving, UNC, the 7 seed, 6 points! So, if you're following my pool, my underdog has to win and cover for me to keep the team. Ouch!
Theoretically, you could have four teams in the Final Four. History has proven that you'll be lucky to get out of the first weekend with one team in play, two teams at the most.
Point spreads reflect money invested in teams, right? A good bookie sets a line that draws equal cash from each side of the proposition. Consider this delta between the bookies and the NCAA Selection committee.
NC State is a 10 seed who plays North Carolina, Charlotte a 7 seed. NC State, the 10 seed, is giving, UNC, the 7 seed, 6 points! So, if you're following my pool, my underdog has to win and cover for me to keep the team. Ouch!
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Deadlines have been tough last couple of days. Finished a couple of projects in fine fashion. Now onto my passion. I have decided to table all moves until the season starts. Even considered adding a third team to give me a chance to get back into the roster juggling business but held the temptation. Besides, three teams are too many teams to track, manage, etc. Once the season starts.
Filled out a free Yahoo! NCAA tourney bracket. I think I have Illinois going all the way. I know, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to pick chalk. It would be OK with me if they won. Frankly, I don't pay enough attention to college basketball to know who is good enough to win; listening and watching the basketball pundits is out of the question.
Reading update:
Reading the following
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Volume I: The Poems
Recently Read
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Runaway by Alice Munro
Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
The 9/11 Commission Report
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
Nueromancer by William Gibson
The Complete Prose and Poetry of William Blake
Black Ice by Michael Connely
Beowulf Translated by Seamus Henry
The Reformation: A History by Diarmaid MacCulloch
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
The System of the World by Neal Stephenson
The Confusion by Neal Stephenson
Quicksilver by Neal Stepenson
Don Quixote by Cervantes (wonderful modern translation by Edith Grossman)
Drop City by T.C. Boyle
Ripples of Battle : How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think by Victor Davis Hanson
Filled out a free Yahoo! NCAA tourney bracket. I think I have Illinois going all the way. I know, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to pick chalk. It would be OK with me if they won. Frankly, I don't pay enough attention to college basketball to know who is good enough to win; listening and watching the basketball pundits is out of the question.
Reading update:
Reading the following
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Volume I: The Poems
Recently Read
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Runaway by Alice Munro
Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
The 9/11 Commission Report
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
Nueromancer by William Gibson
The Complete Prose and Poetry of William Blake
Black Ice by Michael Connely
Beowulf Translated by Seamus Henry
The Reformation: A History by Diarmaid MacCulloch
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
The System of the World by Neal Stephenson
The Confusion by Neal Stephenson
Quicksilver by Neal Stepenson
Don Quixote by Cervantes (wonderful modern translation by Edith Grossman)
Drop City by T.C. Boyle
Ripples of Battle : How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think by Victor Davis Hanson
Friday, March 11, 2005
Having 2nd thoughts about Polanco. I'd drop Carlos May. I should try and trade for better value than Polanco. Maybe I'll do that.
In the meantime, Craig Monroe of my beloved Tigs has caught my eye. More on Monroe.
Bear with me as I battle the forces that are pulling more toward full-blown fantasy ball geekdom.
In the meantime, Craig Monroe of my beloved Tigs has caught my eye. More on Monroe.
Bear with me as I battle the forces that are pulling more toward full-blown fantasy ball geekdom.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
When did sportscasters and sports writers become opinion makers and shouters rather than reporters and storytellers? I miss the storytellers. Maybe it was radio? The responsibility of describing the scene lent itself to entertaining insights.
We have a guy in Phx who does the Suns games on TV who won't shut up. He makes inane observations and often talks through plays. He adverbially challenged. His vocabulary is limited. Last night he actually said, "Freethrowwise, he missed both shots." He wasn't trying to add flavor to his speech by saying it. That's what he thinks and that's what came out of his mouth.
It's pet peeve of mine. I was spoiled listening to the last of the great radio voices. Most every major league town had a radio announcer that stayed on for decades. Those guys taught us the game. They never tried to be more than the game. Ernie Harwell taught us all that baseball was more than a game.
OK.
League moves are limited. Just waiting and watching to make sure than none of my stud players suffers an injury during the exhibition season. Tony Womack is my 2nd baseman on both teams. I like Womack; he played a couple of years for the D-Backs. He started the dramatic bottom-of-the-ninth rally that beat the Yankees and the unhittable Mariano Rivera in the 2001 World Series. Tony is a very streaky hitter and sometimes does bonehead things when he's trying too hard. For instance, Thom Brenaman, D-Backs TV guy and son of Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brenaman and a broadcaster who has a clue, once said in high-frustration: "Tony Womack just swung at ball six" when Tony was trying too hard put a ball in play rather than take a walk. With Tony's speed, he should try and get on base as often as possible. SBs baby, we need the SBs.
Anyway, I am thinking I need a back-up 2nd baseman. Placido Palanco is available in the Diamondhacks league. To get him I need to drop an outfield. Dropping an outfielder will leave me with three stud outfielders. If anyone gets hurt, I'll be hurting. As a general rule of thumb it is harder to get infield help once the season has started than it is to get outfield help. I have some time to think about it. My league mates haven't been too active to date. Polanco will be available. I will probably do it.
We have a guy in Phx who does the Suns games on TV who won't shut up. He makes inane observations and often talks through plays. He adverbially challenged. His vocabulary is limited. Last night he actually said, "Freethrowwise, he missed both shots." He wasn't trying to add flavor to his speech by saying it. That's what he thinks and that's what came out of his mouth.
It's pet peeve of mine. I was spoiled listening to the last of the great radio voices. Most every major league town had a radio announcer that stayed on for decades. Those guys taught us the game. They never tried to be more than the game. Ernie Harwell taught us all that baseball was more than a game.
OK.
League moves are limited. Just waiting and watching to make sure than none of my stud players suffers an injury during the exhibition season. Tony Womack is my 2nd baseman on both teams. I like Womack; he played a couple of years for the D-Backs. He started the dramatic bottom-of-the-ninth rally that beat the Yankees and the unhittable Mariano Rivera in the 2001 World Series. Tony is a very streaky hitter and sometimes does bonehead things when he's trying too hard. For instance, Thom Brenaman, D-Backs TV guy and son of Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brenaman and a broadcaster who has a clue, once said in high-frustration: "Tony Womack just swung at ball six" when Tony was trying too hard put a ball in play rather than take a walk. With Tony's speed, he should try and get on base as often as possible. SBs baby, we need the SBs.
Anyway, I am thinking I need a back-up 2nd baseman. Placido Palanco is available in the Diamondhacks league. To get him I need to drop an outfield. Dropping an outfielder will leave me with three stud outfielders. If anyone gets hurt, I'll be hurting. As a general rule of thumb it is harder to get infield help once the season has started than it is to get outfield help. I have some time to think about it. My league mates haven't been too active to date. Polanco will be available. I will probably do it.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
The upcoming Congressional testimony that baseball players will be giving reminds me of a delicious chapter in Red Smith's To Absent Friends from Red Smith. It's a collection of Red's columns written to and about friends who have passed.
There's a chapter that details Casey Stengel's testimony at a senate hearing concerning baseball's Reserve Clause. A senator asks Old Casey a rather benign question, which Casey takes and runs with, as Casey could. Casey takes the senate down a few rhetorical blind alleys, does donuts in logical cul-de-sacs, and even misses a train or two.
The befuddled senators, not knowing what to make of Casey's explanation, go to Mickey Mantle for clarification. "Basically, I agree with everything Casey just said," explained Mickey.
I can hear the gavel pounding for order as the gallery roared. Can't you?
For more about the book
For more about Casey Stengel
There's a chapter that details Casey Stengel's testimony at a senate hearing concerning baseball's Reserve Clause. A senator asks Old Casey a rather benign question, which Casey takes and runs with, as Casey could. Casey takes the senate down a few rhetorical blind alleys, does donuts in logical cul-de-sacs, and even misses a train or two.
The befuddled senators, not knowing what to make of Casey's explanation, go to Mickey Mantle for clarification. "Basically, I agree with everything Casey just said," explained Mickey.
I can hear the gavel pounding for order as the gallery roared. Can't you?
For more about the book
For more about Casey Stengel
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
I just made two moves, one for each team. I picked up SSs who have very good offensive numbers in all categories.
Choppers: Picked up Ceasar Izturis of the Dodgers. Izturis hit .288 last year with 25 stolen bases. He's shown consistent improvement at the plate in each of this three MLB seasons. I dropped Lou Ford of the Twins. Ford's a nice outfielder, but he won't provide the consistent OF performance that keep HR, RBI, and BA categories on the rise. Plus, everyone has bashers in the OF. Consistent performance from the middle infielders can make the difference in BA, RBI, HR, and especially in SB. I now have Orlando Cabrerra and Izturis at SS. I will play whomever is hot. If both are hot, I may put one at UTIL and play both.
We'll see. Can't wait.
Diamondhacks: Picked up plucky Jack Wilson, the dynamo SS of the Pirates. Excellent stats in most offensive categories. He'll share SS duties with Michael Young of the Rangers who had a career year last year. I may start Wilson, just in case Young has trouble re-creating last year's mojo. To pick up Wilson, I dropped Milton Bradley. Bradley's a nut case, and, yes, he could put all that aside and have the breakout 5-tool season that has been predicted for him in the past. However, past is prologue to the future. I am not going to wait to see. If he starts quick, maybe I'll grab him off waivers. Probably won't.
Play ball!
Choppers: Picked up Ceasar Izturis of the Dodgers. Izturis hit .288 last year with 25 stolen bases. He's shown consistent improvement at the plate in each of this three MLB seasons. I dropped Lou Ford of the Twins. Ford's a nice outfielder, but he won't provide the consistent OF performance that keep HR, RBI, and BA categories on the rise. Plus, everyone has bashers in the OF. Consistent performance from the middle infielders can make the difference in BA, RBI, HR, and especially in SB. I now have Orlando Cabrerra and Izturis at SS. I will play whomever is hot. If both are hot, I may put one at UTIL and play both.
We'll see. Can't wait.
Diamondhacks: Picked up plucky Jack Wilson, the dynamo SS of the Pirates. Excellent stats in most offensive categories. He'll share SS duties with Michael Young of the Rangers who had a career year last year. I may start Wilson, just in case Young has trouble re-creating last year's mojo. To pick up Wilson, I dropped Milton Bradley. Bradley's a nut case, and, yes, he could put all that aside and have the breakout 5-tool season that has been predicted for him in the past. However, past is prologue to the future. I am not going to wait to see. If he starts quick, maybe I'll grab him off waivers. Probably won't.
Play ball!
My two leagues are growing at different speeds. The Choppers league has had two waiver moves since the draft two weeks ago. The Diamondhacks league averages two-three moves per day.
I waived C.C. Sabbathia, the Baby Huey looking, wear your hat hip-hop sideways starter for Dustin Hermanson who looks to set-up Billy Wagner for the Phillies. I still need relief help and will most likely be scrambling after the season starts to find someone who's hot and relatively unknown. Billy Koch is available and I'll be watching him through the spring.
I waived C.C. Sabbathia, the Baby Huey looking, wear your hat hip-hop sideways starter for Dustin Hermanson who looks to set-up Billy Wagner for the Phillies. I still need relief help and will most likely be scrambling after the season starts to find someone who's hot and relatively unknown. Billy Koch is available and I'll be watching him through the spring.
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