"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do, I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby

:: Saturday, March 01, 2003 ::

Baseball Broadcasting Lesson

Listening to the Cubs/Brewers game today via WTMJ, the Brewers flagship station, I was struck by just how good the always-entertaining Bob Uecker is.

All of you who are baseball fans know that the Brewers stink. That they're probably going to lose 100 games again this year. It's Uecker's job to get you to listen to the games anyway, and that's why he kept saying good things about Luis Vizcaino, and Mike DeJean, and well, Richie Sexson is here ready to play again, oh, and even good ol' Curtis Leskanic is trying to make a comeback, and Ned Yost is pumping new enthusiasm into the ballclub... geez, it almost got me interested.

When you're thinking how easy it is to be a baseball broadcaster, know that you have to know how to sell the product you're broadcasting to what may be a disinterested audience, considering that some teams, the Brewers among them, enter the season with absolutely zero chance of making the playoffs.

Oh, and Geoff Jenkins got hurt in today's 6-3 Brewers win over the Cubs. So what else is new?

Not much good news for the Cubs today, except Kerry Wood threw a scoreless inning in his spring debut, and Corey Patterson hit his first homer of the spring.

:: posted by Al at 7:06 PM [+] ::
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Stupid Sports Arrest Of The Week

According to the fine newsletter from baseball-encyclopedia.com's Lee Sinins, Red Sox pitcher Robert Person was arrested early Wednesday morning for playing his car radio too loud. Sinins goes on to report that "...the police said the loud radio wouldn't have been enough, by itself, to result in his arrest, but Person's [tirade against the arresting officers] afterwards triggered it."

Charges include obstruction of justice.

More likely, Person will be charged later this spring with obstructing a pitching staff, and the Red Sox will cut him. He was a 15-game winner for the Phillies only two years ago, but he's in Red Sox camp as a non-roster invitee.

:: posted by Al at 2:51 PM [+] ::
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Food For Thought

A letter in today's Chicago Tribune (free registration required) was very thought-provoking.

In it, Nancie and David Thompson write:

"Bill Clinton was highly optimistic and enthusiastic, somewhat immoral and humorous; he loved people and interacting with them, and wanted to be loved in return. His philosophy tended to promote an 'irrational exuberance.'

President Bush is a bit grim, somewhat withdrawn, relatively moral and desirous of being seen as a tough protector against the myriad threats he sees around us. His philosophy tends to encourage fear and a cautious conservatism."

Thinking about it, it's not just the Shrub who's that way. His father was the same way, and the country was in the same boat in the early 1990's -- slipping into recession, and that resulted in the election of President Clinton, whose mantra was "It's the economy, stupid". Well, it's still the economy, stupid. All around me I see signs of the economy slipping downhill; layoffs, cutbacks, bankruptcies and for those who are still employed, sales and bargains by companies who aren't making it.

Much as I disliked Ronald Reagan and his political stance, he was personally very much like Bill Clinton -- outgoing, optimistic and a 'people person'. The country and the economy did better for most of the 1980's, didn't it?

Political campaigns have gone further into dealing with the personalities of candidates in recent years. Perhaps one of the main reasons that GWB was elected, was that although his personality is somewhat subdued, he's a lot more personable than the wooden Al Gore.

That's very much something for Democrats to think about as the field for the 2004 nomination grows.

:: posted by Al at 11:04 AM [+] ::
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Cubs Win!

OK, so it's just the first exhibition game, and played in mediocre weather, and in February at that.

And Mark Prior gave up a home run to Barry Bonds on the first pitch he threw him. Prior wound up giving up another homer to Jose Cruz Jr., and three runs total in his two innings of work.

For the Cubs, Midre Cummings hit two homers himself, in a bid to become the team's fifth outfielder. Cummings is a former #1 draft pick of the Twins, and at one time was a very highly sought-after prospect. He's 31 now, and the Cubs would be his fifth major league team. But if he keeps hitting like this, I'd think he's got a pretty good chance to make the squad. It'd help if he hit righthanded, but if you can hit, the Cubs can't afford to be fussy.

:: posted by Al at 6:37 PM [+] ::
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Game Called

... is the name of a beautiful baseball poem by the acclaimed writer Grantland Rice.

It's also what happened yesterday to the Cubs, anticipating their first spring training game with the Giants in Scottsdale, instead finding a chill rain, and believe me, when it's raining in the desert, it's miserable and cold. Barry Bonds was spotted in the dugout talking to Dusty Baker, wearing a stocking cap. It leads my friends at the Cubs newsgroup to discuss all sorts of weird topics, including movies, ADD and ... well, you go read it.

Today's Phoenix-area forecast isn't much better -- so today's game may also be called.

In just two weeks, I'll be there myself and will personally report to you here on the exhibition games. Hope the weather warms up by then.

:: posted by Al at 9:59 AM [+] ::
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Your Vote For This Year's Movie Awards!

No, you're not suddenly getting an Oscar ballot. But by going to this site, you can vote for the "Alties" which will be announced a few days before the Oscars are.

In many ways these are much more interesting and honest nominations than the Oscars; they seem less tinged with politics, and more in touch with the movies that really did make a difference in 2002.

Go for it!

:: posted by Al at 8:43 AM [+] ::
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Movie Review: "The Life of David Gale"

In Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times review of this film, he gave it zero stars.

That's noteworthy; over the last 18 years Ebert has given only 27 other films a zero, including such luminaries as "Slackers" and "Jaws the Revenge". "The Life of David Gale" is a serious film about the topic of the death penalty, directed by Alan Parker, who has directed excellent films such as "Mississippi Burning" and "Midnight Express".

So, and also given that I had a free DGA screening, I figured I had to see this film to see why Roger hated it so much.

He's both right and wrong. The film is preachy, as you might expect a film on this topic to be, and the dialogue at times is vapid and way too slick. Kevin Spacey plays Gale, a college professor who's a death penalty activist, whose life is derailed when he has a quickie sexual encounter with the oddly named "Berlin"(British actress Rhona Mitra).

Even this seems a smokescreen for the real story, which is that Spacey's character is apparently framed for a murder he didn't commit, that of one of his death penalty activist colleagues, Constance (Laura Linney, in one of her finest performances).

I won't spoil the various thriller-type twists this plot takes. Most of the story is framed around flashbacks during an interview Gale gives to Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet, and where did they make up that silly name? It undermines her credibility, not to mention the tight jeans she wore throughout the film).

The bottom line is, Ebert is both right and wrong. The ending doesn't make sense, but neither did I feel the ending was so totally dishonest, as Ebert wrote, to undermine the entire message of the film. It did have some redeeming qualities; Spacey's acting, as usual, is understated and terrific, and Winslet did about the best American accent I've ever heard from a British actor.

But if you want to see an honest movie on the topic of the death penalty, go see "Dead Man Walking", which is based on real events. The fictionalization in "David Gale" fits the filmmakers' desires and views too neatly, and so ruins their message in the telling.

AYRating: **

:: posted by Al at 9:45 AM [+] ::
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NOT A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Fred Rogers, creator of the PBS kids' TV series "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, died overnight at the age of 74.

:: posted by Al at 3:36 AM [+] ::
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More On The Injustice To Ron Santo

OK, this isn't quite as important in world events as what's going on with Iraq, but it frosts me anyway.

I'm not a fan of Ron Santo the broadcaster. He's a master of the obvious, a butcher of the language, and in twelve years hasn't learned timing, though he's responsible for one of the great lines in recent sports broadcast history -- "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" when Brant Brown dropped the fly ball in Milwaukee in 1998.

But as a ballplayer, Ron Santo was clearly one of the top third basemen in baseball history, far better statistically than some, like Brooks Robinson, who are already enshrined.

For the Veterans Committee today to once again deny Santo admission to the Hall of Fame cheapens the meaning of enshrinement. Especially galling to me is that Gil Hodges and Tony Oliva both got more votes than Santo.

This tells us that the committee members simply don't know what they're talking about. Oliva and Hodges are both fine human beings, but Santo's baseball accomplishments, especially since they were made by someone who was on the verge of passing out from the side effects of the diabetes that he's had since a child, are far beyond anything Oliva and Hodges ever did.

The fact that the Cub teams that Santo starred on never won anything surely weighed against him, but it shouldn't. Enshrinement in the Hall of Fame shouldn't be team-dependent.

I will never again look at the Hall of Fame with the same reverence, or in fact, any reverence. It's called the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Museum part, I'll always admire, and hope to go see the traveling exhibit now at Chicago's Field Museum soon.

But the "Hall" itself cheapened itself by today's snub. As far as I'm concerned, the Veterans Committee didn't do its work properly, and might as well take its ball and go home.

:: posted by Al at 2:22 PM [+] ::
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Daley Wins, Santo Loses

Tuesday night, Rich Daley was elected mayor of Chicago for the fifth time.

Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that Ron Santo was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the new Veterans' Committee.

And there truly is no justice in the world.

:: posted by Al at 1:42 PM [+] ::
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Tinfoil Hat Time

Mr. Loose Cannon, Illinois Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, claims GWB told him that it would be OK to target Saddam Hussein for assassination under conditions of war.

Naturally, the White House denies telling him any such story. Not sure who to believe here, actually.

Will someone credible please run against Peter next year? They'll win in a landslide.

:: posted by Al at 8:58 AM [+] ::
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A Benefit For A Truly Worthy Cause

Michael Rubin, a fellow Chicago area blogger, is sponsoring a benefit concert this Saturday night, March 1, called "Columbia Muses", for the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, proceeds of which will go to the children of the crew of both the Columbia, and of the Challenger, which exploded, as you no doubt know, back in 1986.

For more info, check out Michael's blog, or the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund site.

:: posted by Al at 8:24 PM [+] ::
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Lucky They Didn't Say Anything About The Dirty Knife!

A French chef committed suicide after his restaurant was downgraded in a prestigious restaurant guide.

And if you don't know what the headline of this note means, click here.

:: posted by Al at 8:07 PM [+] ::
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Pete Rose Snubbed

Good news! Pete Rose was up for consideration for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, probably based on that stellar half-season he played in Montreal, but the selection committee failed to give him the necessary 75% to get in, even while electing former Toronto Blue Jay Joe Carter and former Angel and White Sox Kirk McCaskill.

I hear Rose had bet against himself to get in, so he's going to be OK with all this....

:: posted by Al at 9:57 AM [+] ::
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There's An Election In Chicago Today...

... though it's probably as big a yawner as any election in city history. Turnout is expected to be below 40%, and the cold weather (high expected at around 18 degrees) won't help.

Mayor Daley has co-opted all credible opposition; the most interesting thing to think about is who's eventually going to succeed him. He's 60 years old, and while his father served till his own sudden death at age 74, it's not likely that Richie will follow those footsteps. His wife Maggie already has had cancer treatments, and Richie supposedly even considered not running this time.

Daley's father left a void when he died, since then as now, there was no obvious successor. Similar things could happen in the future if Richie decides to die in office, things I'd think he'd like to avoid.

But then, I think Richie likes being in power more than he likes helping all the citizens of Chicago. Sure, there are lots of nice wrought iron fences here; parks cleaned up; new buildings downtown; many more tourists coming here; new business attracted to the city and construction of lots of new housing.

On the flip side, Richie is responsible for the Loop flood; wanted to close Meigs Field, and his zone parking plan only benefits his pals, which is my main criticism of him. The "little person" is ignored, and the gap between rich and poor has widened in Daley's 14 years in office, as has the racial divide.

He'll get 80+ percent of the vote today, and will not face a runoff in six weeks, when some aldermanic races will be decided, if those candidates don't get 50+ percent of the vote in their wards.

Maybe in that time, he'll figure out how to string two sentences together for his inauguration speech.

:: posted by Al at 8:32 AM [+] ::
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Something I Did Not Know

New eight-time Grammy award winner Norah Jones is famed Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar's daughter.

:: posted by Al at 7:31 PM [+] ::
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LOOK! The Cubs Are About To Start 2003 Baseball!













If you had a Java-capable browser, you'd know how long it
is until the Cubs 2003 home opener!

:: posted by Al at 7:17 PM [+] ::
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It's That Simple

Over the last few days, three stories have made national news, that are absolutely shocking.

First, of course, is the tragic Rhode Island nightclub fire. Now, it appears that the club owner, Jeffrey Darderian, who made such a public show of crying at his press conference on Saturday, has been less than forthcoming with investigators. Before I crucify him, there are no winners here. Unfortunately, there's plenty of blame to go around on both sides of this issue; other bands say that things like this routinely happened not only at this club, but everywhere. People like flashy stuff like that, and no one thinks about the danger.

At least this will focus some attention on this issue so that it really won't happen again. It's that simple.

Second, the tragic death of 17-year-old Jesica Santillan from the botched transplant in North Carolina. What bothers me most about this is the doctor's decision to remove her from life support without consulting her parents. Sure, it must have appeard to the doctors at that point that nothing else could be done. But it was the height of arrogance and insensitivity to not talk to her devastated family.

Obviously, some sort of legal action will follow, but that's not even the point. The point is that people in positions of trust, like doctors, must be more caring and sensitive. It's that simple.

And finally, the unbelievable death of a young French tourist who was enjoying a Florida beach vacation, run over by a police officer who was tailing a suspect.

This kind of chase is wrong in almost every case, but even worse here because the alleged offender was a robbery suspect. A similar chase in Chicago a couple of months ago wound up in the death of a pregnant woman. That one was only a pickpocket suspect.

It's that simple. Police chases shouldn't occur unless the suspect is wanted for a very serious crime.

At least there's one happy story to share with you today. "The Pianist" won the BAFTA "Best Picture" award yesterday, the British equivalent of the Oscar. This is a wonderfully done film, and an important story to tell, and for everyone to see. I hope the US motion picture academy members take account of this as well.

That's what's been on my mind today.

:: posted by Al at 9:18 AM [+] ::
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The Postman Doesn't Ring, Part Deux



Just keeping track for y'all, there was no mail delivered to my house on Saturday, February 22 -- that's twice in the last week that they have simply failed to show up.

:: posted by Al at 7:00 PM [+] ::
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This Blog Was Sold!

And no, too bad, I didn't sell the naming rights. But this blog, and in fact the 200,000+ active blogs here at Blogger, were all sold last week to Google, now perhaps the most popular search engine, due to the sale of Blogger's parent company, Pyra Labs.

Now usually, I'm opposed to good small companies being swallowed by larger ones, but in this case, I think this will be a great deal, giving synergy with the search engine (already, I know a lot of you are sent here through Google searches), and will be a positive thing for Blogger, and blogging in general.

Click here for a well-reasoned article summing up this major transaction.

:: posted by Al at 6:45 PM [+] ::
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Frank Thomas Is An Ass

Well, the Big Blurt is at it again, blaming the media and his teammates for his poor performance.

OK, I'm a Cub fan and shouldn't even give a south side player the time of day here, but I have to speak out on this one. Thomas is, in my mind, the poster boy for what's wrong with today's selfish, spoiled athlete.

He got paid a ton of money at a time when he was becoming a one-dimensional player. He accepted a "diminished-skills" clause in his contract, well, guess what? Management decided to invoke it, primarily because it appeared his skills were diminishing. So he whined about that, and found out that the free agency that he was offered brought no desire for his services.

He's right about only one thing: his former teammate David Wells (another ass, by the way) shouldn't have criticized him for allegedly "loafing" when he had a serious injury.

But Paul Konerko was right last year when he slammed Thomas for his sulking in the dugout and in the clubhouse, and for complaining about being benched when he was 0-for-16. Hey, that's baseball!. That's not how you get along; that's not how you get your teammates to support you, and most importantly, that's not how you win .

Personally, I think Frank Thomas put up ten of the greatest seasons we've ever seen from any Chicago player. But you have to take the bad with the good; some men do that gracefully, and apparently, Thomas isn't one of them. At the age of 34, he still could perform well enough to help his team into the postseason, and maybe himself into the Hall of Fame.

But for crying out loud, put a sock in it, Frank.

:: posted by Al at 11:46 AM [+] ::
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