The Incredible Hulk

No, this is not about Jason Giambi.

My wife and I went to see The Incredible Hulk (movie) today. Granted, I went in with moderate expectations. But, I liked it. In fact, I liked it more than Iron Man (which we saw last month). Of course, any movie with Ed Norton is usually good. And, Norton gives The Incredible Hulk some legs - as he attracts and keeps your attention. Tim Roth and William Hurt did a good job in this one as well. Liv Tyler was sort of…blah. But, it didn’t ruin the film. If you’re a fan of the Marvel Studio films, I recommend checking this one out.

In terms of all the Marvel Studio theatrical releases that I’ve seen, here’s where I would place The Incredible Hulk:

1. Blade: Trinity (2004)
2. Spider-Man (2002)
3. Blade (1998)
4. X-Men (2000)
5. Blade II (2002)
6. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
7. X2 (2003)
8. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
9. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
10. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
11. Fantastic Four (2005)
12. The Punisher (2004)
13. Daredevil (2003)
14. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
15. Iron Man (2008)
16. Hulk (2003)
17. Ghost Rider (2007)
18. Elektra (2005)

Ghost Rider and Elektra are on the list because I saw them. But, they were pretty bad.

What about films based on DC Comics? The only ones there, that I truly liked - in the sense that I would want them in my DVD collection - are: Batman (1989), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), and Batman Begins (2005).

If I had to place them in the list with the Marvel Studio films, I would rank “Batman Begins” between “Blade II” and “Spider-Man 2.” (Yeah, it’s that good.) And, I would place “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” between “X2″ and “The Incredible Hulk.” (Many would disagree with this - but, for some reason “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” just sits well with me.) Lastly, I would sit “Batman” (from 1989) between “Spider-Man 3″ and (the) “Fantastic Four.”

Hellboy (2004) - taken from Dark Horse Comics - was a pretty good film. (And, the sequel, coming out soon, looks promising.) If I were to place “Hellboy” on the list above, I would squeeze it in just outside the ‘top ten’ - right around where “Fantastic Four” sits.

June 22, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 6 Comments

Great WPIX Photos

A follow-up to my WPIX entry from the other day. (Thanks to Lisa Swan for giving me a heads up on this one.) The Daily News is running a great feature entitled “WPIX offers a special salute on its 60th anniversary.” Be sure to check out the photo gallery provided with the story. There’s a great shot in there of Scooter catching a foul ball in the booth. And, check out the photo of Cindy Lindt - she was the Jill Nicolini of her time!

June 14, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

Happy Birthday Channel 11

Channel 11 turns 60 tomorrow. I have a lot of good memories, from growing up, watching WPIX. To this day, it still feels odd to see the Yankees on Channel 9 and the Mets on Channel 11. But, that’s the baseball angle. From a pure T.V. watching angle, I miss those days of watching re-runs of The Odd Couple during “prime time.” I miss watching the late night runnings of the original Star Trek series. Going further back, I miss seeing The Little Rascals and The Adventures Of Superman after school got out. And, watching F-Troop and Abbott & Costello movies on the weekends. Heck, I even miss Pat Harper sleeping on the street for a story on what it’s like to be a homeless person. And the The Twilight Zone, Batman, Gilligan’s Island, Family Affair, Beat The Clock…am I missing anything else?

Anyway, here’s the scoop via Newsday -

WPIX/11′S 60TH

BIRTHDAY BASH

Tomorrow, starting at noon, ending with a 9 p.m. special hosted by Jim Watkins and Kaity Tong.

Reason for watching: If you grew up in the New York area, you have a favorite PIX memory, period, and that will be stirred tomorrow.

What it’s about: Beginning with reruns of classic shows that aired on Ch. 11, there are twofers of “The Little Rascals,” “Abbott & Costello,” “The Three Stooges,” “Adventures of Superman,” “Get Smart,” “My Favorite Martian,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Odd Couple” and “The Honeymooners.” The 9 p.m. special is a mad and comprehensive dash through the years, with classic footage and aforementioned memories.

The bottom line: There was once a lovably eccentric TV station in New York called Ch. 11, or just plain “PIX” (now owned by the Tribune Co., parent company of Newsday.) The reason for this eccentricity is history. Back in 1948, when a big-stakes game of musical chairs called “network affiliation” began, Ch. 11 went its own way, becoming what’s called an “independent.” Like all indies, WPIX - then allied with the Daily News - was a scrappy competitor that had to fight for viewers on budgets far below those of the big boys who were tied with the major networks. This meant reruns, kids shows, old movies, the Yankees and much, much more.

June 12, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 11 Comments

Today’s Rain Delay

In case you’re bored at this moment, waiting for the Yankees and O’s to start playing again…

…here’s a little something to pass the time. Rock it out, ya’ll.

May 27, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 5 Comments

For The Love Of Glove

Reading Stefan Fatsis’ “My Glove: A Biography“ got me thinking about my own collection of leather. I own seven baseball gloves - including both a first baseman’s and catcher’s mitt. Of the five “standard” gloves that I own, three of them will always standout to me.

My very first glove:

Model: Wilson A 2620 - “Paul Blair” signature
Estimated Date of Purchase: 1974
Marking on outside thumb: “Nylon Stitched”
Marking on inside pinky: “Craft Built”
Markings inside pocket: “Grip-Tite Pocket” and “Snap Action”

Comments: Yes, I defaced this one with paint, etc. I’m not sure what I was really thinking at the time. Then again, I was only 11-years old back then as well.

The first glove bought with my own money:

Model: Wilson A 2111 - “Chris Speier” signature
Estimated Date of Purchase: 1976
Marking on outside thumb: “Nylon Stitched”
Marking on inside pinky: “Designed for the PROFESSIONAL”
Markings inside pocket: “Grip-Tite Pocket,” “Pro-Model” and “Snap Action”

Comments: I remember begging my mom to drive me down to Fred Muche’s on Castleton Avenue (in Staten Island) to get this one. The glove, at that time, cost an insane amount of money - and I knew “mom” would allow me to spend it (since it was money I earned) whereas “dad” would have given me “that look.” I had no idea who “Chris Speier” was at the time. I used this one for a decade after I got it - and used it a lot.

The glove I want to have buried with me:

Model: Rawlings HFG 12 - “Reggie Jackson” signature
Estimated Date of Purchase: 1985
Marking on outside thumb: “Edge-U-cated Heel”
Marking on inside pinky: “The Finest In The Field!”
Markings inside pocket: “Deep Well Pocket” and “FASTBACK Model”

Comments: Broken in so perfectly that it doesn’t even seem like I’m wearing a glove when I have it on my hand. Broken in so perfectly that I would rather offend someone than allow them to use it (and perhaps ruin its perfection). Broken in so perfect that I would use it, with total trust, to catch a newborn baby in it. Do I have to continue? I think you get it. For me, it’s perfection. Now that I no longer play ball, and that I have other gloves to use if needed, I’m thinking about having this one put in a glass case.

When people talk about love for a glove…I totally get where they’re coming from.

May 21, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 4 Comments

In Dreams

So, last night, I had a dream where I was back in college…working on a paper that was assigned to me in English class…where I had to write about an episode of the Sopranos that I watched…that had Thor and Meg Ryan in it as guest stars.

What the heck could that dream mean? I did have a few brownies close to bed-time. Maybe they were laced with something? My wife usually throws something healthy in there for the kids. I’ll have to have some more tonight to see what kind of grade I got on that paper.

May 20, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

Shattered Mid-Summer Classic Dreams

This past week, as a Yankees season ticket holder, I received my invoice for this year’s All-Star Game at the Stadium. It’s always been a dream of mine to go to an All-Star Game - any big league All-Star Game.

I know that many baseball fans think the All-Star Game is junk. Not me. I’m not sure why - but, I’ve always loved it. For sure, I’ve watched every All-Star game on TV since 1975 - - maybe I’ve missed parts of a game; but, 85% of the time, I’ve watched the whole game.

Well, when I say every game, it’s not true - - I missed the 1982 game - - because of a girl. I was all of 19. Her name was Jill. Somehow [wink] she influenced me to pass on the game and spend the evening with her. In the end, I would have been better off watching the game. To this day, it ticks me that I missed it. (This was before the days of VCRs, so, I truly missed all of the game.) To this day, I cannot think of Jill ********* without thinking - “Damn her, I missed the All-Stars!”

Back to point, you can only imagine how thrilled I was when I first heard that this year’s game was going to be at the Stadium. An All-Star Game and Yankee Stadium? For me, there’s no better combination.

But, because you have to “buy” tickets for everything with this Yankees All-Star package - meaning the game, the homerun derby, double tickets to the FanFest thing, etc. - the total bill on my invoice was for $2,479. (On the bright side, according to the invoice, the game tickets are for my usual seats in Section 15 of the Loge.)

That’s a pretty steep price. And, for me, now, it’s way too steep. (Five weeks ago, I was informed that my employer, who has had 74 rounds of layoffs in the last 30 months, was doing a 75th round now - and my job was eliminated in that round. Given that income reality for me, with a family of four to feed, and the current economy, etc., it would be insane to spend twenty-five hundred bucks just to see the All-Star Game.)

So, I turned the ticket package over to the rest of the gang that I share my season tickets with - and, one of them jumped on it. (I guess I could have bought the tickets and sold everything off but the game itself. But, even that amount just does work in my budget now.)

I just told my package-mate that he’s living out my dream - and practically begged him to take some pictures from “our” seats to share with me (and may here as well). I guess that’s better than nothing, huh?

Still, even though I know that I’m doing the mature, sensible, and responsible thing here (by passing on my dream) - this still hurts. Well, if anything, in the “All-Star Department” of my brain, this now pushes “Jill” (from 1982) down to # 2 in the “Disappointment Chain.” From now on, when I think “All-Star Game,” I’ll be having a Niagara Falls reflection towards the economy of 2008.

Slowly I turned … step by step … inch by inch …

May 4, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 7 Comments

Strat-O-Matic

Phil Allard has a feature up today at WCBS NEWSRADIO 880 entitled “Remembering the Days of Strat-O-Matic.”

Amazing as this may sound, it’s true: I have never, ever, played Strat-O-Matic in my entire life.

Yet, every single time that I hear something about it, I get the feeling that it’s something that I would have really enjoyed playing. How I missed out on this one, I dunno? Gotta score this one E-Lombardi, I suppose. Maybe when my kids are a little older, I can get them started on it and I can join in on the fun - finally.

April 28, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 2 Comments

Shandler: Contact Rate Is Revealing

Via Ron Shandler in the USA Today (with a hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org):

There is a high variability in the batting average statistic. Once a batter makes contact with the ball, the final disposition of that at-bat is largely out of his hands (home runs excluded, naturally). Two identically hit line drives might yield different results depending upon where the fielders are standing.

So, when it comes to batting average, perhaps the skill that we should be tracking is the rate at which a batter makes contact.

Contact rate (at-bats minus strikeouts, divided by at-bats) is a statistic that is far more stable and projectable. League level rates run about 80%. Our .300 hitters often come from those with contact rates greater than 90%. Batters with rates less than 70% typically have trouble keeping their batting average above .250.

I’ve always had this thing about making contact. So, I’m loving this talk about Contact Rate. Granted, there’s more to it. A guy like Ted Sizemore made great contact - but, he didn’t much else with the bat. Still, Shandler’s comments are great food for thought.

April 17, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment

The Cubs?

Some folks connected to SNY.tv were asked to make predictions on the 2008 season. Click here to see the results.

I have to confess that I only spent about 10 minutes noodling this over. But, when I was done, I saw that I had the Chicago Cubs winning it all this year.

“The Cubs?” I said to myself, when I realized who I picked. “Did I just really pick the Cubs to win it all?”

In any event, since it was what I came up with, looking at everything quickly and without going into deep analysis, I thought “Why not? The Red Sox finally won. The White Sox finally won. Why not let the Cubs have a turn now?”

So, there it is…yeah, “The Cubs.” Go figure.

Oh, yeah, and the Blue Jays thing…well, I’m just taking a flier there. I figure that the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Rays are going to fight each other, tooth and nail, all season in those head-to-head match-ups…and the one team with the best starting rotation (in terms of star power and depth) will finish on top by a nose. And, the Jays have the potential to have that rotation. Your mileage may vary.

April 1, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 4 Comments

Hey, Over Here!

Andrew Ratner, in the Baltimore Sun, has a nice feature today on Orioles bloggers.

It would be nice if the New York media did such a story on Yankees-bloggers someday. [Just a hint in case someone from the New York papers is reading this!]

March 30, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

SABR Minor Leagues Database

I am having too much fun with the SABR Minor Leagues Database. (Hat tip to Dave Studeman.)

Did you know that Babe Ruth and Freddy Parent were teammates on the 1914 International League Baltimore Orioles? Go figure.

Awesome job by SABR to put this together and make it available to the public. They even included Indy Leagues as well. Man, two thumbs up for you SABR.

March 27, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

Now Leaving Jericho…

Just for the record, I am truly bummed over the news regarding CBS’ Jericho. Man, it’s a good show. Too bad the network doesn’t get it.

March 25, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 8 Comments

Yanks Sign Leonid Stadnik?

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Yankees have signed Leonid Stadnik - the world’s tallest human, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, who stands 8-feet-5-inches tall.

New York sees him as having potential on the mound.

According to the report, the Yankees intend to put Stadnik into their big-man pitching prospect “fast track” program - meaning he’ll be scheduled for Tommy John surgery the day after he signs. An unnamed high-ranking Yankees official, quoted in the report, had this to say about the Stadnik signing:

“Our thought process for the past few years has been to stockpile as many young pitchers as we can, so you don’t have to go into the free agent market and do desperate things. My feeling is we’re the Yankees and we should be very aggressive in going after the best amateur talent, even if it comes with some risk. People who know pitching, people we trust, say he has major league stuff and it’s just a matter of fixing his mechanics.”

The report also said the Yankees see this signing as a way to bring the Yankees-brand into the Ukraine (where Stadnik is from).

And, yes, I’m kidding with all of this.

March 24, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 5 Comments

The Bizarro Marty Miller Story

This story confirms that good things happen to good strength and conditioning coaches.

If the Cubs ever get tired of their guy, maybe Cashman should give him a call?

March 19, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment

Impulse Buy Pays Off So Far

Just wanted to share that, on Thursday night, I followed my urge and went out and got one of the new Yankees jackets. Very cool technology behind its construction. So far, I’m loving it.

March 15, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

Edwin Jackson

Tonight I find myself thinking about a non-Yankee baseball thought. It’s the story of Edwin Jackson.

In the 2004 Edition of Baseball Prospectus, on Jackson, it said: “Some people consider Jackson to be the best pitcher under 21 in professional baseball. It’s easy to understand why: After a full-season at Double-A Jacksonville at the age of 19 (where he struck out more than a batter per inning, and posted a K:BB ratio of three-to-one), Jackson debuted at Dodger Stadium on his 20th birthday.” In fact, in the same BP 2004, Rany Jazayerli ranked Edwin Jackson as the best pitching prospect in baseball and the 6th best prospect overall in the game.

And, BP was not alone in their praise of Jackson. In Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects 2004, they listed Edwin Jackson as the top pitching prospect in the game and the 4th best overall prospect in the game.

Lastly, in his Baseball Prospect Book 2004, John Sickels listed Edwin Jackson as the third best pitching prospect in baseball - behind Zack Grienke and Ryan Wagner. Further, in an ESPN.com feature near the end of the 2003 season, this is what Sickels had to say about Jackson:

Although he has yet to receive much media attention, Dodgers right-hander Edwin Jackson has snuck into the upper tier of minor-league pitching prospects.

He has one of the best fastballs in the system, hitting 95 mph at times, with movement. He also has a very good slider. His curveball and changeup are inconsistent, but both have promise. Jackson’s command is excellent. He throws strikes with regularity, and his mechanics are both clean and consistent, which helps keep his command in gear. He has a good feel for pitching, needing only additional experience to round out his package of skills.

There are no holes in Jackson’s stat line. His K/BB, K/IP, and H/IP ratios are all significantly above league average this year. Of note is the increase in his strikeout rate between last year and this season, especially impressive since the improvement has come at a higher level against older competition. Jackson has given up just 11 homers in his professional career, another good sign. Lefties have hit him at just a .188 clip this year, another positive marker.

…

Jackson has had no significant injury problems. His athleticism and clean mechanics should help keep him healthy, and he has less mileage on his arm than many pitchers his age.

So, what happened?

Jackson tanked in 2004 and 2005. He lost some life on his fastball and command as well. And, prior to the season of 2006, he was traded by the Dodgers, at the age of 21, to the (then) Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Sadly, he struggled in 2006 as well. But, then in Spring Training of 2007, Edwin Jackson, still (then) just 23 years of age - the same age as Ian Kennedy and just a year older than Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes now - got back on track.

During Spring Training 2007, Edwin Jackson pitched in 7 games, covering 20.6 innings, allowing just 17 hits while whiffing 18 batters. On the spring, his ERA was a sparkling 1.74 - and it appeared that Edwin was back to where he was at the start of 2004.

And, what happened?

Jackson, in 2007, pitching in the big leagues, tanked again. Of all the pitchers to log 150+ IP in the A.L., he was the least effective pitcher in the league.

It’s pretty interesting how a guy can go from being considered, universally, as the best pitching prospect in the game at age 20 to being the worst pitcher in the majors at age 23 - without any serious injury to tie it back to as the cause.

It just doesn’t seem possible, does it? But, it happened. Back at the end of 2003, I bet few predicted that the next four years would be as bad as they have been for Jackson. Baseball is a funny game.

March 11, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 6 Comments

Trust Your Stuff

In the words of Captain Spaulding, “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”

During any given episode of American Idol, you may hear Randy Jackson say something like:

Awww, right, check it out. Yo, yo, yo…I’m keepin’ it real. Guess what? You’ve got some mad skills. Reeealy, man, you can blow. For me, dawg, mmmmmm…you’ve just got to let it go. Dude, don’t hold back. Yeah, yeah, let it go. Dawg, dat’s the bomb. Dat’s what I’m talkin’ bout. It’s hot!

And, here’s the twist for me. When I hear this, I’m not hearing a judge for a singing competition counsel a contestant. I hear those words and I hear a pitching coach preaching to a prospect…

“Trust your stuff.”

That’s awesome advice for life too. Once you’re not comfortable about what you’re doing, you will lose confidence. This leads to being unsure and nervous. And, walking on egg shells is no way to live your life.

The best way to combat this is to remember those three little words that you hear so often in baseball: “Trust your stuff.”

We can learn many things from baseball. Gosh, I love this game. If I could, I would ensconce myself with it.

OK, enough on this random realization of mine. We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

March 6, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

My Thanks For A Giant Welcome

Thanks to Anthony De Rosa of Giants Football Blog for welcoming me to the SNY Blog Network family.

It’s an honor to join Anthony in the sports-blog network for SportsNet New York’s official website, who, as Anthony puts it, is in the “unique position of being a television network with a growing portfolio of websites run by experienced bloggers.”

In his welcome message, Anthony wrote:

I can’t wait for the Subway Series to watch Mets Blog and Was Watching toss food at each other at the SNY Blog Network dinner table.

That one made me laugh out loud. Don’t worry Anthony, as long as the eats aren’t bad, there’s no fear of me tossing it around the table.

March 3, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment

A Winning Question

A great baseball trivia question via Steve Buckley:

Has there ever been a major leaguer who played on five World Series-winning teams but never played for the Yankees?

A couple of days ago, the question was put to Timlin. Like all of us, he couldn’t name anyone other than members of the Yankees.

But thank goodness for computers and for savvy baseball historians. Through the Red Sox, the question was put to the Elias Sports Bureau. And the whiz kids from Elias did not disappoint, concluding that just one player, Gloucester-born Stuffy McInnis, played on five World Series-winning teams without ever having earned a paycheck in the Bronx.

McInnis was also part of the legendary “$100,000 infield” that played for the Philadelphia A’s from 1911 through 1914 - John “Stuffy” McInnnis at first; Eddie Collins at second; Jack Barry at short; and Frank “Homerun” Baker at third. Because the team did well, A’s owner-manager Connie Mack claimed that he would not part with his star studded infield - even for $100,000. And, the imaginary ‘not high enough’ price tag became a handle for this infield unit going forward. (Ironically, Mack would eventually break up the infield. Even during the early 1900’s a vote of confidence was sometimes also a kiss of death.)

February 23, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

Baseball Movies

I’ve been hearing good things about the new baseball movie “Sugar.” And, this reminded me that I was once asked to list my favorite baseball movies. So, here goes…

Review Key:

Grand Slam - Every baseball fan must see this movie.
Homerun - Highly recommended - classic & polished flicks.
Triple - Very entertaining and nicely done.
Two-Bagger - Surprisingly enjoyable.
Single - Rainy Saturday morning viewing; but, still good.

Pride Of The Yankees 1942 Homerun.
Take Me Out To The Ballgame 1949 Single.
The Stratton Story 1951 Single.
Angels In The Outfield 1951 Two-Bagger.
The Winning Team 1952 Two-Bagger.
Bang The Drum Slowly 1974 Single.
The Bad News Bears 1976 Single.
Eight Men Out 1988 Grand Slam.
Bull Durham 1988 Triple.
Stealing Home 1988 Two-Bagger.
Major League 1989 Triple.
The Natural 1984 Grand Slam.
Field Of Dreams 1989 Grand Slam.
Talent For The Game 1991 Single.
Pastime 1991 Single.
A League Of Their Own 1992 Triple.
Rookie Of The Year 1993 Single.
Little Big League 1994 Single.
The Sandlot 1994 Triple.
Cobb 1994 Triple.
The Scout 1994 Two-Bagger.
The Fan 1996 Single.
Soul Of The Game 1996 Homerun.
For Love Of The Game 1999 Triple.
61* 2001 Homerun.
Hardball 2001 Single.
Summer Catch 2001 Single.
The Rookie 2002 Triple.
Mr. 3000 2004 Single.
Fever Pitch 2005. Triple.
The Benchwarmers 2006 Single.
Everyone’s Hero 2006 Two-Bagger.

February 18, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 9 Comments

“Definitely, Maybe”

A quick break from the usual baseball-related content….

I went to see “Definitely, Maybe” with my wife today.

To be candid, for me to be interested in a movie it usually needs car chases, vampires, fight scenes, talking monkeys, some sports reference, a sci-fi element, weaponry, or lots of sophomoric humor. And, again, usually, I would rather do almost anything else than go see a “chick” movie.

But, “Definitely, Maybe” was pretty entertaining. It was well acted, smartly written, edited nicely, and offered some great NYC-location shots. If you are overdue for filling in the “See Chick Flick” column on your relationship scorecard, you could do a lot worse than this movie.

February 17, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment

13 Hours Later, FiOS-nally!

Since it’s now in my area, I finally made the move to bundle my phone/TV/internet with FiOS.

What a day. When I placed the order, they warned me on the phone that it would be a four to six hour install procedure. But, when the tech arrived this morning, the first thing he said to me was “I know they tell you on the phone that it’s four to six hours; but, I’m telling you now, this is going to take at least nine hours.”

Oh, boy.

If only he was right.

In the end, it took thirteen hours and fifteen minutes for the install. Yes, it started at 10:30 AM and ended at 11:45 PM.

Man, this is crazy. First there was a problem with the box. Then, there was a problem with the line to the house. Then, we had phone and internet but no TV. Then, we had TV, but, no phone or internet. Needless to say, not a smooth operation.

Somewhere in hour twelve, I said to the installer “If you’re here any longer, I think you and I will be picking out china patterns in the morning.”

Anywho, it’s over now. I’ve already memorized the new channel number for the YES Network. There’s no looking back now.

February 1, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 14 Comments

Pete Mrsich

I just wanted to throw this out there…

If you a fan of our General Joe’s Army Shirts logo, and/or the WasWatching.com banner, - and why wouldn’t you be! - you should take note of the site for the artist behind these great designs: WorkWithPete.com.

It was a pleasure to partner with Pete Mrsich on both these projects. If you’re ever in need of a graphic artist, I highly recommend WorkWithPete.com.

January 28, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment

Sad News From Delaware County

This story really has nothing to do with baseball, and it only has a weak connection to the Yankees, in terms of the story-line. But, since it did catch my attention today, I thought I would comment on it:

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

A sickly 84-year-old Delaware County man, apparently unable or unwilling to imagine his blind daughter going on without him, killed her and their dog before turning the gun on himself Saturday night, Upper Darby Police said yesterday.

Robert Killian of Drexel Hill was so protective of his 53-year-old daughter, Barbara Killian, that he did not like neighbors helping him to care for her, a neighbor said. And he had no other relatives to turn to, police said.

A neighbor who cooked meals for Barbara Killian while her father was hospitalized called police Saturday night. Police arrived around 6 p.m. and climbed in through a second-story bathroom window, Chitwood said.

In the basement they found a scene that Chitwood, a veteran Philadelphia police officer, called “as tragic as any of them.”

Lying face-down on the floor was Barbara Killian, dead from a gunshot wound to her head. Slumped on top of her was Robert Killian, who apparently shot himself in the head with his .38-caliber revolver. Between them was their white Maltese named A-Rod, also shot.

Chitwood said investigators can only conclude by neighbors’ accounts and what they found at the scene that Robert Killian thought he was going to die and didn’t think there was anyone - or didn’t trust anyone - to protect his daughter. There was no note.

Barbara Killian, a baseball fan, named the dog after New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, whom she became friends with through an organization for the blind, Callaghan said.

When I hear stories like this, it provides clear and perfect definition of the word “tragic.” That’s a word that sometimes gets thrown around a bit in the world of sports. But, when you come across something like this, it’s a quick reminder that’s a misplaced application, indeed.

My condolences go out to anyone who was close to the Killian family.

January 21, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s A Frog!

Nothing to do with the Yanks, but, I thought this link was too good not to mention…

Check out what Eric SanInocencio has posted at Rays Anatomy.

Years ago, I saw Jose Lind jump over Joe Garagiola’s head during an NBC “Game of the Week.” Eric’s find is just as impressive.

January 10, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 2 Comments

Going To The Crash Well Again

Thinking about Goose Gossage, and his upcoming Hall of Fame speech, I wonder if he’ll mention Dick Allen at all?

In “The Goose Is Loose” by Rich Gossage, Goose said (about Allen) on page 30 (hardcover ed.):

I’ll let my tribute go at this: If I were to pick an “All-Teammate Team” for my career, I’d put Dick Allen at first base.

I went back now and looked at all the 1B that Gossage played with: Willie Stargell, Chris Chambliss, Bob Watson, Steve Garvey, Mark Grace, Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire and Tino Martinez top the list.

Gossage would rather have Dick Allen than any of those guys. That says a lot about Dick Allen for me.

Further, from “The Goose Is Loose” (hardcover, pages 27 and 28):

It’s a shame, but today’s players have no idea about Dick Allen’s ability. That’s because he didn’t suck up to the press like a lot of major leaguers do. He wasn’t a quote machine. He didn’t play the publicity game at all. His reticence pissed off many members of the press, so they made him out to be a bad guy, For the record, he wasn’t.

It’s just that Dick didn’t suck up to anyone, period. He didn’t possess an ounce of BS in his makeup. Dick shot straight and played baseball. He also studied the game intently. I can remember being in the dugout at times when some of the White Sox players would be horsing around, playing grab-ass and goofing around. Dick would pipe up with, “Cut the crap and get your heads into the game. Watch the pitcher. Learn something.”

Allen played to win. The only stats that mattered to him were W’s and L’s - wins and losses. Many was the time he’d set up a pitcher by looking foolish on purpose. Early in the game, with the bases empty, Dick might let a pitcher make him look bad on a slider. Late in the game, with runners on base and the game hanging in the balance, Dick would come up again and the pitcher would say to himself, “Hey, this guy can’t touch my slider.”

So, here comes the slider, and there a slider would go - either smashed into the outfield wall or into the cheap seats.

Oh, well, at the least, this was another chance to mention Dick Allen - and perhaps that will bring good luck and another monster season for A-Rod this year.

January 8, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment

A’s Trade Nick Swisher, Moneyball Class Of ‘02

From the Mercury News:

The Oakland A’s today traded outfielder Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox for left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez, right-handed pitcher Fautino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney.

In 2002, the focus for many going into and following the first year player draft, was the Oakland A’s – as they had nine picks within the first 98 players chosen - including seven selections before the start of the 2nd round of the draft. In fact, the heavily heralded book “Moneyball” devoted and entire chapter (and then some - or at least it seemed) towards the A’s and their ‘genius’ in working the draft in 2002. Here’s how the A’s worked those nine picks:

Nick Swisher – The 16th overall pick in the draft. Signed for a bonus of $1.78 million – which was the 3rd highest signing bonus given to a college hitter taken in the first round of this draft.

Joe Blanton – The 24th overall pick in the draft. Signed for a bonus of $1.4 million – which was the 6th highest signing bonus given to a college pitcher taken in the first round of this draft.

John McCurdy – The 26th overall pick in the draft. Signed for a bonus of $1.375 million – which was the 5th highest signing bonus given to a college hitter taken in the first round of this draft.

Ben Fritz – The 30th overall pick in the draft. Signed for a bonus of $1.2 million – which was the 7th highest signing bonus given to a college pitcher taken in the first round of this draft.

Jeremy Brown – A first round supplemental pick. He was the 35th overall pick in the draft. He signed for a bonus of $350,000 – which was a very low bonus for a hitter taken in this position of the draft.

Steve Obenchain - A first round supplemental pick. He was the 37th overall pick in the draft. He signed for a bonus of $750,000 – which was an average bonus for a pitcher taken in this position of the draft.

Mark Teahen - A first round supplemental pick. He was the 39th overall pick in the draft. He signed for a bonus of $725,000 – which was an average bonus for a college hitter taken in this position of the draft.

Steve Stanley - A first round supplemental pick. He was the 67th overall pick in the draft. He signed for a bonus of $200,000 – which was a very low bonus for a hitter taken in this position of the draft.

Bill Murphy - A first round supplemental pick. He was the 98th overall pick in the draft. He signed for a bonus of $410,000 – which was an average bonus for a pitcher taken in this position of the draft.

So, now, five and a half years later, looking back at this “Moneyball” draft, we can see that only Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, and Mark Teahen became big league players of worth. And, only Blanton remains with the A’s - and the moving van may be heading in his direction soon as well.

I wonder, if, someday, we’ll be looking back at the Yankees “big” drafts of 2006 and 2007 and compare them against the fabled “Moneyball” draft from 2002? Will the Yankees’ drafts yield the same ratio of productive big leagues? Will it be better, or worse? Will the players remain with the Yankees? Or, like the A’s players, will they be moved?

Yes, there is a difference here. The A’s had 9 picks in the first 98 slots of 2002. The Yankees had 2 picks in the first 98 slots in both 2006 and 2007. Also, the Yankees had more money to work with - compared to the A’s.

And, of course, no one has written a book about the Yankees recent drafts. So, most likely, when it comes to retrospectively measuring the Yankees work in 2006 and 2007, there won’t be a hardcover testament to look back on, as is the case now with the A’s work in 2002. Too bad. That might have been fun.

January 3, 2008 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 17 Comments

Something To Think About If You See Snow Today

46 days until Pitchers & Catchers report.

Hey, 6 1/2 weeks ain’t so bad. I can do that standing on my head.

December 30, 2007 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | 1 Comment

2008 Fall Classic Hallowed Ground Ballparks Past & Present Calendar

Just a heads-up on something cool. I just received, in the mail, today, a “2008 Fall Classic Hallowed Ground Ballparks Past & Present Calendar” (as a gift). If you’re a baseball nut, like me, you’ll love this one. If you’re looking for an awesome calendar for this upcoming year, I highly recommend this one.

December 28, 2007 | Filed Under Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment