Continue Reading June 22nd, 2007
Tonight, the summer of Pants Parties continues: We’ll be hitting ole Shea Stadium for the A’s-Mets showdown. DiNardo! Glavine! Eight dollar beers! Welcome to New York.
In three weeks — and more details to come on this once Daulerio gets his act in gear — it’ll be a Philadelphia Pants Party, with Miami and Seattle coming later this summer. (Someone should set up a Web site for these. Well, other than this one.) So if you’re at the game tonight, or just watching at home, look for us: We’ll be the ones making it rain in the upper deck.
Continue Reading June 22nd, 2007
We’re not sure what the rights rules are for Major League Baseball audio and video broadcasts in outer space are, but if Bud Selig hasn’t figured out a way to maximize revenue on the moon, he will. Even astronauts are listening to games now. Meet Michael Lopez-Alegria.
They had a deal where they would send up the audio, and I would listen to the games while I was doing my normal work stuff. But none of my friends would tell me what would happen, because I wasn’t able to usually listen in real time. That worked real well, although one friend blew the World Series. A friend is a Cubs fan, and I don’t know if he wasn’t paying attention, because NASA is pretty good about sending out a list, so that they know who can email us directly. But it was 3 to 1 (Cardinals won in five) when he blew it, so I knew where it was going.
If we were in space, and we had learned that the Cardinals had won the World Series while we were in orbit, we would be convinced the earth had been taken over by robots, who had enslaved us all. And we’d still be happy.
Baseball Reaches The Final Frontier [MLB.com]
Continue Reading June 22nd, 2007
What’s coming up in the world of minor league baseball … we proudly give you Rick Chandler’s Minor Enterprise!
Monday is the West Michigan Whitecaps’ gigantic, festive Salute to Bubbles, and not a moment too soon. The night will feature two giant bubble machines that will produce more than a million bubbles per hour, and there will be special bubble giveaways before and during the game.
But the main attraction will be an appearance by the clown team of Mr. and Mrs. Bubbles, shown here preparing to drop their pants and fire a rocket, as they say. We’ve discovered that Mr. and Mrs. Bubbles, who have been entertaining Michigan residents for years with their delightful antics, are members of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, who describe themselves on their Web site as follows:
We teach how to use the visual illustrations and develop talent for Gospel presentation using sleight of hand, optical illusion, ventriloquism, puppets, balloons, clowning, juggling, storytelling, and other visual arts as they develop for this one cause, visually promoting the Word of God.
The part of the Sermon on the Mount they don’t tell you about:
JESUS: So how is school treating you, Billy?
VENTRILOQUIST DUMMY: Not so good. I have to walk 10 blocks to get there.
JESUS: When I was a kid, I didn’t think anything of walking several miles to school.
VENTRILOQUIST DUMMY: Well I don’t think too much of it either. (Laughter).
Other promotions, the leaders in the Worst Song in the World voting, and a woman who sees dead people, after the jump.
• Worst Music Of All Time Night. Tuesday, June 26. Long Beach Armada (Independent, Golden Baseball League). Though a winner will not be announced until game time, the race for the worst song of all time is coming down to the wire in Long Beach. Voting has been heavy for We Built This City by Jefferson Starship, Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus, Mmmm Bop by Hanson, Gerrardo by Rico Suave, Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice, Too Legit to Quit by MC Hammer and Party All the Time by Eddie Murphy, any of whom could win this thing. Get your vote in now!
• Petrol-Palooza Gas Giveaway. Monday, June 25. Birmingham Barons (Class-AA Southern League). On this day ticket prices will be identical to the price of a gallon of gas (general admission = regular unleaded), and one lucky fan will get a $250 gas card courtsey of Napa Auto Parts. Fill ‘er up with excitement! Offer not good for Tony LaRussa!
• Nothing Night . Monday, June 25. Lake Elsinore Storm (Class-A California League). The team’s staff honored this promotion last season by doing absolutely nothing at the ballpark, so I assume that this year’s event will be the same. No PA announcer, no mascot, no concessions, nada. Enjoy.
• Garrett Fahrmann Tribute Night. Wednesday, June 27. Fresno Grizzlies (Class-AAA Pacific Coast League). Tired of honoring celebrities such as Bob Barker, Kevin Federline and Cher, the Grizzlies will instead pay tribute their own VP of operations. The game will include a special behind the scenes look at Fahrmann’s rapid ascent from humble beginnings as a farm kid from rural Iowa to a position of power with a Class-AAA team. Also, anyone with an Iowa ID will be admitted free.
• Mike Tyson Ear Night. Thursday, June 28. Fort Myers Miracle (Class-A Florida State League). Free facial tattoos? Discount admission for those with partially missing ears? I have no idea. If you go, please write and tell me what happens.
• Salute To The Pickle. Tuesday, June 26. Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Class-A New York-Penn League). On this magical night, the first 1,000 fans to enter Eastwood Field will receive their own pickle. Plus, there will be pickle-related activities before and during the Scrappers’ game with the Jamestown Jammers. Could any event be more truly American? The terrorists hate us for our pickles.
• Connection Beyond With A Real Medium. Thursday, June 28. Trenton Thunder (Class-AA Eastern League). Teresa Liza Pell sees dead people … and for $68 she will let you talk to them. “The Thunder will welcome acclaimed spiritual medium, Marisa Pell, to Waterfront Park for an evening of communicating with spirits from beyond. The Thunder will host this special Connection Beyond Gallery Event in the Yankee Club and Conference Center at Waterfront Park.” Gerald Ford? Is that you? [Thanks to Ted Kerwin]
• Player Of The Week. Deik Scram, West Michigan Whitecaps (Class-A Midwest League). Scram was the MVP of Sunday’s Midwest League All-Star Game, but I picked him because I like his name. A close second was Robert Moron, GCL Phillies (Class-Rookie, Gulf Coast League).
• Bobblehead Of The Moment. James Whistler Bobblehead. Lowell Spinners (Class-A New York-Penn League). Lowell-born James Whistler, the world-renown painter and etcher, received many accolades during his lifetime. But the artist perhaps best-known for the painting Whistler’s Mother now has his biggest tribute of all; a bobblehead doll in his honor. On Thursday, June 21, 1,500 fortunate fans at LeLacheur Park received one of these beauties. If you have one, we’d appreciate a photo that is larger than this.
And speaking of the Spinners, don’t forget that Laces Out With Stephen Gostkowski Day is Sunday!
We want your minor league tips! Send info on upcoming events, photos, or messages from the beyond to RickChand@gmail.com. And thanks!
Continue Reading June 22nd, 2007
So let’s say you’re a season ticket holder for the Miami Dolphins. One of your eight games this year is the October 28 game against the New York Giants in London. You think it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make the trip to London, but that’s OK: With StubHub, you can sell that puppy and probably pay for a couple of other games. (The Euro, it is strong.)
Well, the NFL is onto your sick and twisted game: You have to pick up your tickets the week of the game.
“We don’t want fans re-selling these tickets,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “We had to create a system that would accommodate Dolphins season-ticket holders and U.K. and European fans. Without that there’s the potential for fans to have to pay extraordinary prices for these tickets from people in South Florida, who may be selling them.”
So yeah, you better book your plane tickets fast.
The NFL Would Like To Say Something To Dolphins Season Ticket Holders [Lt. Winslow]
Continue Reading June 22nd, 2007
We don’t want to say that Baltimore interim manager Dave Trembley should perhaps rent, not buy, but … well, it’s probably a bad sign when you’ve had to make one real decision as manager, and your decision already has everyone wanting to fire you.
As you’ve surely heard by now, Trembley played Miguel Tejada for one inning yesterday afternoon so he could keep his consecutive games streak intact. This is shaky in the first place, but in Baltimore, which is home of freaking Cal Ripken, for cripes sake, it went across like a leady leaden piece of lead.
On the list of sham attempts to influence records, this, to me, exceeds Brett Favre lying down so Michael Strahan could get Gastineau’s sack record. The whole point of being the Iron Man is that you not only show up every day, but you show up every day to play every out, and you’re good enough to do it without hurting the team. I, personally, can’t wait for the O’s to trade Tejada, but they can replace Trembley without a suitor. Bring on Rick Dempsey!
Not that it matters now anyway: Tejada’s wrist is broken and the streak’s over anyway. That is, unless, Trembley keeps putting in for an inning anyway, regardless.
Tejada’s Wrist Broken [MLB.com]
Miguel Tejada, Dave Trembley and Respectability [Oriole Post]
Fire Dave Trembley Now [East Coast Bias]
Continue Reading June 22nd, 2007
Notes on a day in baseball:
• Pete Coors Talks Some Smack. The Yankees ventured into the Rocky Mountains as the hottest team in baseball, and were chased out by people with brooms. Colorado took a 4-3 victory at Coors Field on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep, and New York’s resurgence is officially on the DL. Rodrigo Lopez got the win (with relief help from Jorge Julio, who got him out of a jam in the sixth) as the Rockies won their seventh game in eight tries. Matt Holliday knocked the Roger Clemens out of the game and gave the Rockies a 3-2 lead with an run-scoring single in the fifth.
• With Hugh Beaumont, Chad Billingsley, Tony Dow, And Jerry Mathers As The Beaver. Canada’s own Russell Martin had a two-run double in the Dodgers’ six-run eighth and Chad Billiningsley got the win, 8-4 over the Blue Jays.
• Bring On Griffey! Felix Hernandez — remember him? — shut out the Pirates for eight innings on nine strikeouts, and Jose Lopez doubled in two to lead the Mariners took a 3-0 win.
• Now That This Sammy Sosa Business Is Over. The Rangers got back-to-back homers from Victor Diaz and Adam Melhuse, a two-run single from Marlon Byrd, and a game-winning single from pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Cubs 6-5.
