It's Enough to Make You Puke

Today's offering will seem like I'm stealing Paul's material, but that's only half-right, as I was planning on posting about this baseball stuff (go figure). The second item, though, was purely Paul's idea, so hat's off to him.

If anyone wonders why most people view professional athletes as spoiled malcontents deserving of scorn, meet Exhibits A and B. Something tells me that Kenny Rogers wouldn't appreciate someone walking to the mound during a game and knocking the ball out of this hand every time he tried to pitch. Yet, he felt it within his rights as a pampered douchebag to do the very same thing to a cameraman just doing his job. (It wasn't during a game, but the example still works.) He definitely should've known when to walk away. (Pointless aside: Rogers threw a perfect game on my 29th birthday.)

Gary Sheffield has always been a prick, so his comments yesterday about a possible trade to the Mets come as no surprise. However, those comments aren't any less sickening; he basically said he wouldn't accept a trade and, in remarks I heard on the radio this morning that aren't in the above article, implied he wouldn't give 100 percent if he were dealt. Warms the heart, doesn't it? Here's a guy making over $10 million a year, and he doesn't have it in him to try his hardest because he made concessions (yeah, deferred money is a real drag) when signing with the Yankees. There's really nothing about professional sports, baseball in particular, that surprises me anymore -- and nothing that would ever deter me from enjoying baseball purely as a game -- but these two jag-offs make me sick.

Speaking of getting sick, as Paul writes, Ted Leo's song "Me and Mia" is about something so completely apart from what I thought it was about, it's pretty amazing to contemplate. Do a Google search for "mia ana" and then read the song's final verse below. A great song just got that much greater.

Sick to death of my dependence, fighting food to find transcendence
Fighting to survive, more dead but more alive
Cigarettes and speed to live and sleeping pills to feel forgiven
All that you contrive, and all that you're deprived
All the bourgeois social angels telling you you've got to change
Don't have any idea, they'll never see so clear
But don't forget what it really means
To hunger strike when you don't really need to
Some are dying for a cause, but that don't make it yours

Baseball, Family, More Baseball

I don't blog much, but when I do, it seems to be about baseball. So here's more (with some family stuff tossed in)...

My wife and I had my parents up from Florida for five days. Fun was had by all -- we went to Second City, which was very funny, hung around downtown, etc. (Speaking of baseball, Ryne Sandberg walked right past me as we were leaving where we had lunch on Saturday; unfortunately, my dad and his camera were nowhere to be found.) The highlight, at least for my dad, was going to see the Cubs play the White Sox at "U.S. Cellular Field" on Friday. The Sox, my dad's team, pounded the Cubs, my team, so he was thrilled. Me, not so much, especially since it was about 98 degrees.

We also took a tour of Wrigley Field that day. It was the second time I've done that, first time for him. Unfortunately, they were watering the grass when we were there, so we didn't get roam the outfield or stand on the mound. But being on the on-deck circle was cool. It's amazingly close to home plate.

Actually, the real highlight was that we had about 10 other relatives come over on Saturday. It was the first time any of them had seen our new-ish place, and the first time many of us had been in the same room for quite a while. It was the day of the second game of the Cubs/Sox series, so some of the younger kids were appropriately dressed. The little dude on the right below, my namesake (though not really named after me), obviously has great taste. (These guys are my second cousins.)

Our family, like others, I imagine, has had its share of acrimony over the last few years, so it was good to see everyone putting the petty nonsense aside, at least for a day.

More baseball...I had seats four rows behind the dugout for last night's Cubs victory over the Brewers. It was the second year in a row watching a game from those seats and the second year in a row I regretted not bringing my camera. The view from there is simply outstanding. So was the game...Derrek Lee homered, and Corey Patterson made an incredible game-saving catch. (This just in: He still can't hit as well as we'd like.) The view was great, the beer was cold, the game was well-played...as I've said before, you can't beat fun at the old ballpark. Felt like nirvana after a particularly shitty day at at the office.

I don't think I'm going to another game until mid-July. Maybe I'll post before then, maybe I won't. I turn 40 next month, surely I'll have something to say about that (especially since I'll be at the ballpark that day).

Don't Be - Memory

Paul has a great post today about memorable/wacky/interesting things he's seen at baseball games. His recall is much better than mine, but here are the top three things that I can remember (interestingly, they all involve Sammy Sosa):

1. Sosa hitting the tying two-run HR with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth in Game 1 of the 2003 NLCS. I say this with no exaggeration: The crack of the bat when he hit that ball was the single loudest such instance I've ever heard. And I've never seen a crowd more exited. I still get chills when I think about it. (FYI, it's a Chills song that provides today's headline. Wow, what synergy.)

2. Sosa hitting the longest HR I've ever seen, that same year vs. Milwaukee. It was incredibly high, and it went way down Kenmore Street. I think the estimated distance was something like 560 feet, and that seemed to shortchange it. Was it because of steriods and/or cork? Don't care.

3. In 2001, in the first Cubs home game post-9/11, Sosa dropped a cheapie HR into the right-field basket and then carried a mini American flag around the bases. It was pure, orchestrated Sosa, but given the circumstances, it was pretty damn inspiring.

I've been racking what's left of my brain trying to come up with other stuff, but nothing of note stands out. However, one that just did was an amazing Bo Jackson bomb in Kansas City in 1988, which cleared the fountains in right center by about 100 feet.

Oh, here's another: I was at the game in 1976 when Mike Schmidt hit four HRs in an 18-16 win over the Cubs. The Phillies got down 13-2 early, and the Phillies fan I was with forced me to leave. (Hey, I was 10, I needed a ride.) I got home in time to see the historic fourth HR on TV.

Bang a Gong

I have absolutely no idea why I thought of this, but they say the mind works in mysterious ways. I'm at the computer, contemplating the work in front of me, and all of a sudden Gene Gene the Dancing Machine pops into my head. It's a pleasant childhood memory, as I was a huge Gong Show fan. I even had a "Gong Show Reject" t-shirt. High fashion, indeed. Anyway, enjoy the clip.

On a related note, here's a rental recommendation: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Even though it was directed by George Clooney, I found this pseudo-bio of Gong Show creator-host Chuck Barris to be one of the most entertaining movies I saw in 2002.

Hence the Name

Taking the L into work this morning, like I do every day, I saw something I've never seen and hope to never again. Just after leaving my stop, I took a gander out the window and noticed a guy taking a poop behind a Dumpster. I suppose he could've been looking for something while squatting with his pants at his ankles, but I think he was making a doody. And it's my duty to report it.

On an entirely different note, here's an inspirational story. It's not an uncommon one, but it still made me a little misty. It's one of those stories where you curse yourself afterward for how you complain about some little thing or another when you don't face nearly the challenges this kid does.

Quote of the Day

"He was just my grandpa, but he was also Bozo, and we don't ever forget that." -- Los Angeles Angels draft pick Trevor Bell, speaking about grandfather Bob "Bozo the Clown" Bell

Can't Beat Fun at the Old Ballpark

Random thoughts after a night spent at Wrigley:

*As the above article mentions, a black cat briefly ran on the field and into the stands. A similar incident in 1969 in New York unfortunately holds a spot in Cubs loser lore, but this cat wasn't entirely black, so I'm not freaked out about it. However, as an extremely wussy cat owner, I was more concerned with the cat not being harmed. After the cat jumped into the stands, a guy behind me goes, "Throw it back!" Worries about the cat's welfare aside, that was pretty funny.

*I'm not one to drink to excess at games, having done so only twice that I can recall. (Maybe it's been more and I just black out?) While I have no real problems with people who go to the games solely to get ripped, they often make the game experience a hassle for those who have to deal with their loutish behavior. Not a problem last night, thankfully, as the crowd was well-behaved. The muggy weather might've had something to do with it. Then there's the guy in the seat next to me, who fell asleep in the eighth inning; when he woke up, he had to go take a leak, then spent about 10 minutes trying to get back to the right aisle upon his return.

*I came about as close as I ever have to getting a foul ball.** A hard liner hit off a guy's shoulder two rows directly in front of me. Unfortunately, the ball bounced way left, so I had no shot after that. I was tossed a ball last year by, ironically, last night's starting pitcher, Glendon Rusch; immediately after the ball landed in my hand, I hear, "GIVE IT TO THE KID!" I was unaware that a kid two rows behind me had his sights on the ball. Rather than risk abuse for the rest of the game, I gave it to him, to much applause. Then the guy who bellowed earlier brought me a beer as thanks for handing the ball to the kid. It's the little things like that that make going to games such a joy.

*Perhaps fittingly, given the team I root for, the Cubs lose more often than not with me in attendance. Here's the year-by-year tally since moving to Chicago in August 2001; most of these took place at Wrigley, but the totals include a win in Milwaukee (Miller Park) in 2002, a loss at "U.S. Cellular" (formerly "new" Comiskey Park) in 2002 and a win at "U.S. Cellular" in 2003:

2001: 0-1
2002: 5-8
2003: 5-8 (including three NLCS losses)
2004: 6-4
2005: 0-3

Total: 16-24.

Ouch. Doesn't stop me from going back, though, and likely never will.

**I did snag a batting practice homerun ball at Camden Yards in Baltimore in '93. If anyone can guess the Mariners player who hit it, I'll buy you a beer.

Hell, Next Exit

I find that when I don't have anything to say, a press release touting a mythical town called Journeyville will do:

This summer at Journey’s 30th anniversary U.S. tour, dubbed “The concert that takes you back…and into the future,” fans will experience a mixture of nostalgia, excitement, and delight from the moment they arrive until the time they leave. In addition to being treated to an entire evening of music spanning Journey’s entire history, this trek will include an added ingredient, “Journeyville,” a festive area located near the front entrance at most of the venues. Fans will be treated to continuous video playback on large outdoor screens showing various moments throughout Journey’s history such as classic music videos, behind-the-scenes clips and much more. They can also learn more about Journey’s history and sign up for the Journey Fan Club to get all the latest news, special merchandise offers and tour updates.

The centerpiece of “Journeyville” will be a “30th Anniversary Journey Motorcycle,” created and built by Arlen Ness Motorcycles and featuring amazing artwork from all of Journey’s albums. Fans will have a chance of winning this beautiful motorcycle by making a contribution to Journey’s favorite children’s charities at the exhibit. One lucky fan will ride away into the sunset on this one-of-a-kind motorcycle at the end of the tour! For the latest tour dates, which commence June 26 in Irvine, CA, log onto www.journeymusic.com.