Stop The Insanity!

PETA, the narcisistic hippie vegetarian group, has released its list of Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks for 2008. I will not recite the whole list here, it can found on their website. I have no problem with vegetarians or eating healthy. But ballparks are meant to be for ballpark food, just as there is movie theater food, ice cream stand food, and bar food. Here's some examples sold at various MLB parks:

- mock chicken sandwiches- ooo-kay....
- crab-free crabcake sandwiches- how is this possible???
- vegetarian cha-cha bowls- "filled with black beans, rice, shredded zucchini, and pineapple salsa"- really ridiculous...
- Harvest vegetable wraps- "spinach tortilla wraps layered with grilled portobello mushrooms, roasted zucchini, roasted red peppers, lettuce, and diced tomatoes"- sighhh
- "The Poppy" sandwiches- "roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes"- unbelieveable..
- Of course the "normal" veggie fare- Veggie burgers, veggie dogs, sushi, etc.

For the record, I have a problem with new ballpark foods that I like in other non-ballpark settings, like soup, salad, dinner platters. A ballpark is meant for hot dogs, peanuts, beer, Cracker Jacks. Catering to every single person on the planet who may show up at your stadium is ridiculous. Fast food has gone in the same direction, serving apple fries at Burger King and flatbread sandwiches at Dunkin Donuts. Just somebody, please, stop these idiots before they go to far. Problem is, I think that they already have.

The Ghost of Trade Deadlines Past

MLB's trade deadline is tomorrow at 4PM, and it's always an exciting time for fans of contending teams who are waiting for one big bat or big pitcher to put their team over the top. But do they really help? Most of the time, I would say no. Sometimes it does pay huge dividends and they give away nothing for that one missing piece. And sometimes it completely blows up in that team's face, as they give up their future for 2 months of glory. And they might not know how bad it was until a decade later. Here are some of the most one-sided July trades in recent years:

1987- Tigers get SP Doyle Alexander
Braves get minor league SP John Smoltz

Often considered the worst July trade. Alexander went 9-0 and led the Tigers to the division title, but imploded in the playoffs and stunk up the joint the next two years. Smoltz? Now in his 21st year with the Braves, led Atlanta to 15 consecutive division titles and a World Championship, and is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

1988- Yankees get DH Ken Phelps
Mariners get RF Jay Buhner

The Yankees were trying to break a 7-year playoff drought and had no place to play Buhner. Phelps hit .224 and left at the end of the year as the Yanks finished 5th. Buhner had a 14 year solid career with the M's, hitting over 300 homers and leading the Mariners to their first playoff appearance in 1995.

1990- Red Sox get RP Larry Andersen
Astros get minor-league 1B Jeff Bagwell

The Red Sox did make the playoffs in '90, but got killed by the A's, and Andersen had 1 save in 2 months. Bagwell? He only went on to a 17 year, probable Hall of Fame career with the Astros, amassing 450+ home runs and becoming the face of their franchise.

1993- Braves get 1B Fred McGriff
Padres get minor leaguers Melvin Nieves, Donnie Elliot & Vince Moore

The Braves get the bat they desperately needed in McGriff, who is a main component of their winning their third division in a row. McGriff was also there to help the Braves win it all in 1995. The three tomato cans the Padres got did nothing in their careers.

1997- Mariners get RP Heath Slocumb
Red Sox get C Jason Varitek, SP/RP Derek Lowe

This is the most lopsided one, in my opinion. Slocumb (above) pitched 2 years for the M's, getting a total of 13 saves with a 5.00 ERA. Varitek and Lowe were the cornerstones of the first Red Sox World Championship in 86 years in '04, and Varitek was there to help them win another in '07.

1998- Astros get SP Randy Johnson
Mariners get SP Freddy Garcia, SS Carlos Guillen, RP John Halama

This isn't really as one-sided as most of the others, but still worth mentioning. Randy went 10-1 as a 'Stro and pitched two great games in the first-round of the playoffs, but Houston couldn't score. Randy left for Arizona that fall. Garcia, Guillen and Halama were a main part of the core of the Mariners team that won 116 games in '01, but they also got bounced quickly out of the playoffs.


I will look at this year's trade deadline deals on Friday, but we may not know till 2018 who got the better end of the deal.

Keith On The Soup

One of the funniest shows on TV got even funnier with a cameo from Olbermann this weekend.

Walter O'Malley Finally Gets His Due

This weekend's Baseball Hall of Fame induction includes a man who deserved to get in years ago. Dodger owner Walter O'Malley was revolutionary in his thinking by expanding baseball west beyond Missouri. He has been hated for 5 decades in Brooklyn for taking their Dodgers away, and he has often been portrayed as the evil in the whole situation. The truth is that Brooklyn politician Robert Moses had much more to do with it by thwarting every effort to replace outdated Ebbets Field. (Moses' only "solution" was to offer swampland in Queens- the exact spot where the expansion Mets later built the beyond-horrendous Shea Stadium)

Regardless, O'Malley was a man who took care of those around him and ensured continuity in his organization. From 1953 through 1996, with Walter and later son Peter running the team, the Dodgers had 2 managers and 4 general managers. Some teams go through that in one year. With that consistency came much success, as the Dodgers won 6 World Series in that time, and were always a contender for pennants and divisions. It's no surprise, then, that since the O'Malley's sold the team in 1997, the Dodgers have gone through 7 managers and 6 GMs, and have won 1 playoff game.

O'Malley was also the driving force for building Dodger Stadium, considered one of the finest in all of baseball. He also had drawn up plans for a dome and pay(cable) TV decades before they came to fruition. Walter died in 1979, and it's good to see that 30 years after his death, he is getting his rightful induction into Cooperstown.

Jon Stewart Makes Fun of NEPA

Well, actually makes fun of McCain, but the Scranton reference makes it all the funnier. Look for it around 4:15 in the video.

Final Trip To The House That Papa Built

On Tuesday night, Staci, Mary, Jimmy & myself took the trip out to the Bronx one last time for old Yankee Stadium. The three of my road-mates were happy with an 8-2 Yankee win over the Twins. The trip was nostalgic, as Mary and I spent many Sunday afternoons in our childhood at Yankee Stadium. Our grandfather ran bus trips from Scranton out to the Bronx, and they were always entertaining and some of the best memories of our childhoods. Our last trip was in 1994, as the rising ticket prices and the horrible strike finally made my grandfather decide it was not worth it any longer.



In the 15 years leading up to that, though, Papa always got great seats and tried to find the most entertaining weekend- we were there for Bobby Murcer Day, Phil Rizzuto Day (when they brought a cow out on the field for him), Billy Martin Day. We also got to see Tom Seaver throw his 300th win against the Yankees, to this day the only true milestone I have witnessed live.



So, Mary and I remembered all this and more, from "iced tea" to lucky numbers. Mary even made me a pepperoni and butter sandwich, just like Grandma used to (we were not allowed to eat at games- "why would we spend $2 on a hot dog when we can make 20 sandwiches for the same amount?" HA!). We were able to get seats right behind where Papa always got his seats, so we had the same view as the old days. Another sign of changing times- seats that cost $7 in 1987 are now $75. Some things remain- Bob Sheppard's amazing voice still echoes from the PA system, and the outfield bunting and scoreboard are the same. But the days of Mattingly, Winfield, Guidry are long gone. And so are the days of $2 hot dogs, $7 seats, and Papa's bus trips. But somehow, 10 years after he left this planet, Papa was there Tuesday night, ensuring one more win for his Yankees in front of his two eldest grandchildren. And he was smiling as the strains of Sinatra played one last time for us in Yankee Stadium.

Birthday Weekend

Staci and I had a quiet, but fun, birthday weekend. We started out on Friday night going to see "The Dark Knight," a fantastic movie that is worth seeing even if you're not a fan of superhero movies.



On Saturday, we drove 10 miles up the road to Limeport, PA to see an old amateur stadium that was celebrating its 75th anniversary. Limeport Stadium truly looked like it was from "Field of Dreams," down to the cornstalks past left field. It also has a very unique feature- centerfield (above) is on a high slope, as it has a huge boulder underneath it that could not be removed with 1933 technology. It is also 485 feet to deep center, and trees and flagpoles are in play. It was great seeing such a preserved piece of history, and they also had a game starring the New York Mutuals Vintage Baseball Team. The Mutuals (see pic below) are part of a league that follows 1860's-1880's rules. Such as:

- no gloves are used
- anything caught on one bounce is an out
- pitchers can throw under- or over-hand



They also wear original wool uniforms, and the umpire stands on the first base side instead of behind the plate. It was really neat to see baseball played in this way. Afterward, we enjoyed a nice dinner and went home to watch "Semi-Pro" and drink a bit.

On our birthday yesterday, we went to an Iron Pigs game. Even though it was standing room only, and they were playing the Scranton/WB Red Barons, or whatever they're called now, we had a good time. All in all, a low-key but eventful birthday weekend.

BK35- The #1 Songs

Not my number 1's per se, but the song that was #1 on the US pop chart on each of my birthdays since July 20, 1973. It's an eclectic mix, to be sure, some classics like Billy Joel and Prince; some one-hitters like Sir Mix-a-Lot and EMF. So here they are, from Billy Preston (above) in '73 to Katy Perry in '08.

1973- Billy Preston- Will it Go Round In Circles?
1974- George McCrae- Rock Your Baby
1975- Van McCoy- The Hustle
1976- The Manhattans- Kiss & Say Goodbye
1977- Barry Manilow- Looks Like We Made It
1978- Andy Gibb- Shadow Dancing
1979- Donna Summer- Bad Girls
1980- Billy Joel- It's Still Rock & Roll To Me
1981- Air Supply- The One That You Love
1982- Survivor- Eye of the Tiger
1983- The Police- Every Breath You Take
1984- Prince- When Doves Cry
1985- Duran Duran- View to a Kill
1986- Peter Gabriel- Sledgehammer
1987- Heart- Alone
1988- Richard Marx- Hold Onto the Nights
1989- Martika- Toy Soldiers
1990- Glenn Medeiros & Bobby Brown- She Ain't Worth it
1991- EMF- Unbelievable
1992- Sir Mix-a-Lot- Baby Got Back
1993- UB40- Can't Help Falling In Love
1994- All-4-One- I Swear
1995- TLC- Waterfalls
1996- 2Pac- California Love
1997- Puff Daddy- I'll Be Missing You
1998- Brandy & Monica- The Boy is Mine
1999- Ricky Martin- Livin' La Vida Loca
2000- Matchbox 20- Unwell
2001- Usher- You Remind Me
2002- Nelly- Hot In Here
2003- Beyonce & Jay-Z- Crazy In Love
2004- Usher- Confessions, Pt.2
2005- Mariah Carey- We Belong Together
2006- Nelly Furtado- Promiscuous
2007- Rhianna- Umbrella
2008- Katy Perry- I Kissed a Girl

If you'd like to see what was #1 on your birthday or special day, go to a site I've used for years, This Day in Music.

Chase Utley Is My Favorite Non-Dodger

Not really, but he's getting closer. Why? Well, first his hilarious ESPN Fantasy Baseball ad this spring- "My wife and my best friend in the same mock draft lobby?"



Then, there was this at the Home Run Derby on Monday, apparently the only show left on TV that does not have a 7-second delay. Chase had something to say to Yankee fans as they booed him at introductions:



Priceless! He's funny, and he doesn't put up with ridiculous booing from fans whose team doesn't even play his Phillies? What a guy.

Another funny sports video to close the week out, courtesy of YouTube. This is circa 1992, when Jim Rome is just gaining national prominence and ESPN2 was still an infant. Rome is poking at Saints QB Jim Everett by continually calling him female tennis star Chris Evert. And hilarity ensues!



Have a good weekend everybody!

New JibJab Video!

Some of you may have already seen this, but JibJab.com, maker of hilarious non-partisan videos, has just been posted, set to the tune of Dylan's "The Times Are A-Changing." And it stars Obama, McCain, and...Kenney? Watch carefully toward the end of the 2 minute video:

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Yes, not only does JibJab make great videos, but gives you the chance to star along in it. It's good to have some light-heartedness in a political year that has been anything but.

TWIB Notes- All Star Edition

Some random thoughts on last night's never-ending Mid-Summer Classic:

- Pregame ceremony with 49 Hall-of-Famers was very nice and the coolest since Ted Williams at Fenway in '99. But it was not as good as that, as there should have been more former Yankee All-Stars invited, and the spontaneity from '99 was missing. Nice to see just the same.

- George Steinbrenner looks horrible. Really horrible.

- Tony Gwynn looks fatter. Really fatter.

- Apparently we were only an inning or two from 3rd baseman David Wright pitching for the first time since elementary school. Really, how much less of a farce is that than the tie in Milwaukee was?

- Lone Dodger Russell Martin (above) was the highlight of my night with great plays at the plate. But Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, and Ben Sheets also will be remembered as well.

- The NL may never ever win an All Star game again. Really ever.

Oh Josh!

I had very little hope of a great Home Run Derby last night, especially due to the fact that I had to DVR it becuase of my Blue Rocks game. But I knew I would root for Josh Hamilton, the feel-good story of the decade. There are few Derby memories that truly stand out. Ripken in Toronto in '91. McGwire in Boston in '99. Add Hamilton in NYC in '08 to that list. Hamilton added to his lore in a big way last night. Some stats:

- 28 first round home runs, breaking the single-round record. Next closest last night was 8. 35 total home runs in the Derby.

- 13 consecutive swings for home runs.

- 3 home runs over 500 feet. Almost clearing the fence as well, which has never been done in the 85 years the stadium has been around.

- And, oh yeah, he didn't win. Out of gas by the final round, he lost to Justin Morneau 5-3.

Hamilton continues to amaze for his return from the depths of Hell, battling drug addiction and a 3-year banishment in which he barely picked up a bat. Midway through his run last night, 60,000 people were chanting "Ham-il-ton," no small task in a town and stadium that rarely roots for a guy not in pinstripes.

And the other great part of last night was Hamilton's hand-picked Derby pitcher- 71 year old Clay Counsil (below), an American Legion coach who helped Hamilton in his formative years and whom Hamilton wanted to pay tribute to. Clay's only other time in Yankee Stadium? Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series in 1956. You can't make this stuff up.



Who knows what the future holds for Josh Hamilton, and I watch with cautious optimism that he can stay clean, after seeing the careers and lives of Steve Howe, Daryl Strawberry, Alan Wiggins, and many more come to a crashing halt. But no matter what, for one warm summer night in July, in the final season of the most hallowed of ballparks, Josh Hamilton made every one of us feel good about life, baseball, and second chances.

BK35- Best Comedy Movies

The clock is ticking- 35 is less than a week away, so here's another self-indulgent list of my favorites. This time around, my favorite movie comedies. The greatest ones are those that you can watch over and over again and still laugh and, of course, quote every line. I believe that most of these qualify, at least for me. In no particular order:

The Early Years ('80s- Early '90s)

Airplane!
Hot Shots 1
Hot Shots 2
Naked Gun
Naked Gun 2 1/2
Police Academy 1
Police Academy 2
Major League
Bull Durham

The Mansfield Years (mid-to-late '90s)

Tommy Boy
Space Balls
Kingpin
There's Something About Mary
Swingers
South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut
Animal House
Dumb & Dumber
Ace Ventura
Happy Gilmore

The Frat Pack Years (2000's)

Office Space
Old School
Wedding Crashers
Dodgeball
Anchorman
Scary Movie 1, 2 & 3
Not Another Teen Movie
Napoleon Dynamite
Superbad
Borat

BK35- My All-Time Dodgers

The latest in the lead-up to my 35th birthday, this list was easier than I had anticpated. I decided to make a normal 25-man roster, and I did not move players from positions that they had played on a Major League level. I did not go on sheer talent alone, as I included their contributions on a team level as well. All players are within my lifetime.

C- Mike Piazza
1B- Steve Garvey
2B- Steve Sax
3B- Pedro Guerrero
SS- Chad Fonville
LF- Kirk Gibson
CF- Brett Butler
RF- Mickey Hatcher
DH- Eddie Murray

Bench- Russell Martin, Eric Karros, Tim Wallach, Andre Ethier, Shawn Green, Dusty Baker, Ron Cey

SPs- Fernando Valenzuela
Orel Hershiser
Ramon Martinez
Pedro Martinez
Brad Penny

Bullpen- Pedro Astacio, Jeff Shaw, Jay Howell, Steve Howe, Eric Gagne(CL)

Manager- Tommy Lasorda

Honorary Captains- Sandy Koufax, Jackie Robinson

More Dan & Keith

Here is a classic commercial with the dynamic duo. The quality of the video is less than stellar, but still funny. Circa '97:



And some bloopers from KO, DP and the whole gang:

Giddy Level- Red

It takes alot to make me feel giddy. Meeting Kirk Gibson or Mickey Hatcher would do it. Playing catch on the field where the Dallas Cowboys play did. The return of "Family Guy" from cancellation did as well. But this is right up there on the giddy level. It was announced yesterday that the greatest sports anchor duo in history will be reunited this fall. Dan Patrick will be joining Keith Olbermann on NBC's "Football Night in America" to do sports highlights together, which they did amazingly well when they redefined the genre on ESPN from '92-'98 (see pic above- how funny is Keith's 'stache?). And while I enjoy both of them separately, the two of them together will be pure magic. Keith will be joining Dan on his radio show today- to listen to the podcast go to danpatrick.com, and choose podcast- Tuesday- Hour 3- should be posted by this afternoon. Here's a small clip of the announcement:

TWIB Notes- 7/7

- All-Star teams were named yesterday, and this is the closest to correct that I've ever seen it- kudos to fans, players and managers. The best stories to me are the two tales of redemption. Rangers' Josh Hamilton, covered here everywhere (including here) for his story of overcoming a drug addiction that almost killed him, will be starting in the outfield for the AL. And a totally different kind of redemption in Phils pitcher Brad Lidge, who was written off after losing his closer role in Houston last year, will be in the NL bullpen. Congrats to both.

- Big trade as CC Sabathia was traded to the..Brewers? I'm sorry, what? The Brew Crew, who haven't even made the playoffs since 1982 (when the above logo was in style), just picked up the biggest name available. Now the rest of the contenders will be vying for lesser names like AJ Burnett, George Sherrill, et al.

- So let me get this straight- Brett Myers beats his wife on a Boston street in '06 and nothing happens. He yells at a reporter the other day ("Boom! Outta here!"), and he's sent to the minors. The difference? He was doing well in '06, but stinking up the joint this year. As it is too often in sports, you can get away with almost anything when you are playing well (Mike Vick being a notable exception). Probably my least favorite aspect of sports.

- The DEVIL Rays have the best record in baseball. The Brewers now have Sabathia. How do the baseball execs and Fox folks feel about a Milwaukee-Tampa World Series? Not too good, I can assure you. But it would be great for baseball.

Happy 4th (A Day Early)

It's hard to believe 2 years have passed since my July 4th proposal to Staci at RFK Stadium. The reason I chose that date was simple to me and a year in the making. Staci and I had discovered early on in our relationship that we both had horrendous break-ups on this holiday (her with EJ, mine with Kim) that had rendered this once-loved holiday a dreaded date. We made a pact to try and make the 4th a fun day again. In 2005, on our very first baseball road trip, we went to Cleveland to see the Indians play the Tigers. As we sat there, enjoying the beginning of our odyssey together, I realized that we needed to make the 4th of July a day to always remember. And so began the year-long planning that came to fruition in Washington DC among family and friends. I kept the secret so close to the vest that no one knew except Mary, who I had told so that she could photograph the occasion.

2 years later, we are happily married and I could not ask for a better wife. And as I look forward to 3 1/2 days off with friends, baseball, and of course, my wife, I can say that my plan was brilliant- a holiday was saved for 2 people, and a beautiful life was begun.