Oniontown Update

Many thanks to my friend Dave for posting this article on Facebook. Written by Aaron Lake Smith on Vice.com, it looks into the history and culture of this dead-end enclave of Dover, NY.

Longtime blog readers will recall my post, "Oniontown Ouch!", written in 2008, about some folks from my hometown of Mahopac who went cruising looking for trouble. That post remains among the most-read on Exit 55. I still get occasional emails from people about it as well. The post comes up fourth in line when one Google's "Oniontown."

As I wrote at the time, Oniontown is an area of intrigue and rumor. This article opens up about that a little. It's an interesting read.

Oh, but one thing - the writer refers to Mahopac as "wealthy." While there are a few areas of nice houses, most specifically around the lake, trust me. We're not "wealthy."

Here's another take, written by Quinn O'Callaghan for the Hudson Valley Chronic.

New Bruce!

Bruce Springsteen's first track from his latest album with the the gang on E Street hit the airwaves today. It's called "We Take Care of Our Own." I've already seen some debate on it. I'm OK with the song. The first impression is that I like it.

It's got a hook. It's political, but I tend to ignore that. It might sound really good live.

That's about it.

My Day Off

I didn't post anything yesterday here. I had some free time, and I have some things I want to write about, but I didn't. It was my way of saying "no" to SOPA.

Government has to find some better things to do. In South Carolina, they could proceed with banning smoking in restaurants. Carrie and I walked into a Waffle House outside of Charleston, took one whiff, looked at the four charmers puffing away, looked at each other, and walked out. Having that smell all over our clothes and stuck in our noses as we drove for roughly the next 12 hours would have been very unpleasant. We found another Waffle House a mere 10 minutes away (Damn you, WH - bring yourselves to NY!) where things were a lot better.

Although they could probably use a lesson on scrambling eggs.

Of course, I don't have time to post anything else today. Duty calls. Off to work.

The Boot

(Photo by Carrie and her great camera)

I wanted to call this post "Das Boot" but I figure people get too PC, so I let it go.

I digress.

Some of my Facebook friends might have noticed a few pictures that I posted of Carrie and I posing with a large boot - a drivable one at that - at South of the Border, the renown tourist trap in South Carolina.

Side note - I know it is cheesy but visiting there, and taking a very game Carrie with me - was very special. That place, for whatever it is, holds a special place. It's a reminder that the road culture is still alive.

We'll revisit all about SOB and such soon (I hope) but I wanted to highlight this silly boot car that Carrie and I spotted from atop South of the Border's sombrero tower (yes, really).

(My pic)

So as any good curious tourist would do, we investigated. We had our pictures taken with it. We admired it, and went about our business.

But we knew this wasn't ANY ol' boot. It was THE boot - an LL Bean boot! Carrie got the proof.

(Photo by Carrie)

For the most part, we let it go as a funny thing along the road. Then I spotted a news item today from the AP. It's LL Bean's 100th birthday!

So that explains that!

OK, So I Found It

There it is, in all it's glory. From now until whenever it gets changed, that picture is the new icon for this blog.

Carrie, my hat is off to you for a wonderful picture that involved mundane details that nobody reading will ever care about.

It was taken on Interstate 95 (as it should), at Murphy Road, near Fayetteville, NC.

Much to tell from our great roadtrip. Stories of us driving back together, and of me on my own. They can wait.

I'm tired.

Get Out of the Way, It's TV!

You might remember the infamous WGCH/MSG showdown in 2009 at the Greenwich/Staples Thanksgiving Day game.

If you don't, trust me - I do.  So does Chris Kaelin, Chris Erway and the rest of our team.  So does Carrie - who heard it live, and didn't know who I was.

Jeff Pearlman highlighted a similar situation, except this time the reporter getting the shaft is a print journalist.  I watched the video and it sickened me.  As Jeff pointed out - who the %$^& is Holly Rowe?  For that matter, who the $%^& do these TV people think they are?

One reporter at MSG, who had the balls to tell Chris Kaelin that he should "know his place" should be thankful, because that little affair in 2009 had the chance to get much worse.  Kato is STILL angry about it.  I didn't find out about the "know his place" comment until much later.  It's bad enough that I literally screamed into the MSG booth, basically daring them to come chat with us.

The person we were interviewing (Staples coach Marce Petroccio) has always been good to WGCH, and he agreed to come on with us. We were finishing up our interview - there was no need for MSG to big-time us, and they looked bad. End of story.

Another reporter who I kind of know from MSG wouldn't even look at us that day. He was clearly embarrassed by the behavior of his "team." If my team every behaved like they did, it wouldn't be tolerated. Period. We all have jobs to do, and the print folks have their deadlines. So we all get along and make the best of it.

By the way, I don't know that the print folks are always the warmest and fuzziest either.  I can clearly recall the chill that we felt when WGCH was covering the Bridgeport Bluefish back in 2002.  They weren't that fond of us.  That being said, I count several writers (and former writers) among my good friends.

Anyway, that's my $.02 on the matter. Back to prepping for my road trip!

Maybe a New "Exit 55" Sign Will Be Found

Photo by my sister, taken in 1985 on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near BWI Airport.  That's my dad in the driver's seat.  I think this was actually a test shot, but who am I to complain?

I'm excited to say that, for the first time in a long time, I'm hitting the road for a good old-fashioned road trip very soon!

My love of the road is pretty well-documented (I'll go out on a limb and say you knew that already). But of recent times, road trips were generally to places like Reading, PA (within three hours driving time of Mahopac or Brooklyn) and Albany, NY (about two hours from me). Even Boston and Philadelphia are only about three hours or so.

Don't get me wrong, that's not a complaint. Yet I haven't done the longer trip - along the lines of Richmond (seven hours - six if conditions are perfect) since 2009. But that ends this week when I head for Charleston, SC, where Carrie will be attending a conference.

I haven't driven beyond Richmond since 1991. Driving between New York and Florida was an Adams Family (SNAP! SNAP!) tradition, first between 1969 and 1975, then between 1980 and 1986, with one last drive in 1989 (when my mother, brother and I drove nonstop...ugh). So parts of this trip will be like a stroll down memory expressway.

For the road enthusiast in me, I will look forward to seeing the rebuilt service area in Delaware, the tunnels of Baltimore, skirting DC on the Beltway and checking up on the constant construction south of DC (which I'll likely get suck in). I'll enjoy seeing Main Street Station in Richmond, and the myriad South of the Border billboards (and yes, I'll stop at SOB). It's hard to describe the other things. Some of them will be new to the eye, while others will be just...things. Road folks know what I mean.

I will stop will be the aforementioned R-VA for a possible lunch or visit with the webmaster of Vintage Richmond himself, Mr. Jon (who just posted a picture of Elvis in the coffee shop at the Jefferson Hotel in 1956). That will be nice.

I intend to make Charleston that night, so moving along will be important. I'll need nice weather, decent traffic, a good set of wheels, and minimal breaks (other than Richmond).

I'll meet up with Carrie in Charleston and will enjoy the sites of the South before we begin our trip back north. Carrie is a great traveling companion because we share the same kind of interest in the culture and intrigue of unique sites on the road.

As for finding a new "Exit 55" sign, yes, it's very likely. I know there are a few between here and there. Now I just need my camera!

It's quite possible that I will use Twitter or the blog or Facebook or all of the above during the trip...or NONE of the above. So stay tuned...or not.

Glory Days

I had a friend was a big baseball player back in high school...
(words and music by Bruce Springsteen)

I've mentioned a few times that I went to Mahopac High School, a nice school in a nice town. I graduated in 1987 with a class that included one of the best baseball teams in the history of the school. Many of my friends were on that team anchored with amazing pitching, led by Drew Ryan, Joe Porcelli, and Dave Fleming.

I played against or was teammates with all of them in town. Ryan threw as fast as anyone I had ever seen. Porcelli was a lefty who enjoyed hitting left-handed batters who hung out over the plate. The only time I ever had to leave a game was after Joe hit me in the elbow. Oh yeah and he beaned me once also.

Go ahead, say it. That explains a few things.

Then there was Fleming. I can clearly recall driving a base hit up the middle against him. That probably increased my hitting against him to about one-for-thirty (maybe, maybe not...I honestly don't recall). But I can also tell you about the time he dropped a curve ball on me that made me hit the dirt because I thought it was going to hit me. Happened at Lakeview School. Embarrassing.

Dave was a nice guy, a fellow Yankees/Bobby Murcer fan who I knew, but not well. He dominated as New York's Mr. Basketball and was the first player to find his jersey hanging at MHS. He went on to Georgia, where I stumbled across him pitching on TV for the Bulldogs to win the College World Series. I was stunned and happy - for him, for Mahopac, and yeah, for me.

Before you knew it - bam (not Bam Bam Meulens). He was a Seattle Mariner. He pitched in Yankee Stadium on July 10, 1992 at a time when getting tickets at the last-moment wasn't a hard thing to do. I sat down near the left-field foul pole, a few rows behind my friend Denise, who didn't go to Mahopac but went because she wanted to see Fleming (and was a huge Yankees fan). It seemed like most of Mahopac was there that night and many of them rooted for Dave.

I, of course, was torn. Ultimately, I wanted Dave to pitch well but wanted the Yankees to win. Dave kept up his end of the bargain - but the Yankees bats couldn't wake up. Danny Tartabull hit a long home run off Dave in the sixth (I...um...cheered) to make it 3-2, but that was it. The Mariners won 5-2. Dave left in the bottom of the ninth to an ovation from his hometown friends and fans. Yes, even me.

Dave was nice enough to send me an autograph after I mailed a baseball card to him, and I still have it. Other than that, I haven't talked to him in over 20 years. I often thought of him and wondered if he would ever want to be a guest on any of my talk shows or even jump in and do color for a game that I was calling.

Nice thoughts, of course. I don't have the pull that a Mr. Jeff Pearlman has though, and that's what this is all leading up to. Pearlman writes his Quaz, a weekly question-and-answer session. Today's guest? You got it - Dave Fleming, now a teacher in Connecticut.

Enjoy.

Dick Clark

Dick Clark was back doing his thing in Times Square for another year. Since suffering a stroke several years ago, this night has become an annual ritual for those who mock or support him.

I say it's all fair game. Dick Clark chooses to go on the air once a year with a voice that is difficult to understand, and some moments that can best be described as "awkward." For those of us who have welcomed him into our living room for so long, it's a tough image.

Full disclosure: I did not watch him, Seacrest, that clown Carson Daly, or anyone else. I watched "The Big Bang Theory" and then "The Honeymooners." Heeelllloooo, ball!

For me, it's not the way I want to remember him. Before Times Square became so clean, it was Clark who stood outside and shivered above the hookers. Yet I remember him as he is in that picture above - as a former Philadelphia DJ and the host of American Bandstand, an iconic TV show hosted by an iconic figure.

I don't think of him with New Year's Eve. At least I don't want to.

I'd rather think of the "Pyramid" (be it $10,000, $20,000, $100,000 or whatever). I'd rather remember the silly clip shows he did with Ed McMahon. There's so much more to what Dick Clark has done in his career, and many don't know that.

Here's a "$25,000 Pyramid" episode from 1983! Ah, good, solid old game shows!


As good luck would have it, I found a 1982 interview that Clark did on "AB" with a little band from San Francisco...


Here's one of the two songs HLN performed that day (the other was "Do You Believe in Love"). This is "Buzz Buzz Buzz."

D-O-D-G-E-R-S

This is a two-part post. Part one is that my last post with the Steve Somers video led me to this, posted by a WFAN listener, in which Somers played an old song by Danny Kaye in tribute to his beloved Los Angeles (nee Brooklyn) Dodgers. It's a little hokey but a lot of fun, and mentions one Vincent Edward Scully (the true broadcasting pride of Fordham and everyone else pales in comparison). Chris Erway, he a fan of the once-and-always Bums, should like this.


Part two was a message I got from a friend the other day. His mother-in-law passed away a short time ago and among her possessions was a model of Ebbets Field - the former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. I knew his mother-in-law, a fine woman who raised a wonderful person and knew her baseball very well. I forgave her transgression of being a - blech - Mets fan, and normally scoffed at her when she would mock the 27-time World Champions because, well, just because. Best to let the Mets fan have their moment because it is normally oh-so-fleeting.

Anyway, my friend asked if I would like the Ebbets Field model. Now, granted, I'm hardly a Dodgers fan. I would have detested them when they played in Brooklyn. I wasn't even alive in 1955, but the fact that they beat the Yankees in seven games that year eats at me. I obviously didn't like them a lot in the 70's and despised them after they won the 1981 World Series (and thus Bobby Ray Murcer was only able to show me an American League Championship ring when I met him). I couldn't stand Tommy LaSorda and the whole "wine and cheese" feel of Dodger Stadium. I cringe every time a politically-correct shot of Jackie Robinson is put on the screen as if to say "Hey! We're equal opportunity. See?!" In fact, the Great Scully is about the only thing I love about the Dodgers.

But...

I also love baseball (oh there's a news flash for you). I love the history. And yeah, I kind-of-sort-of-maybe have a big connection to Brooklyn these days. And yes, Donald Arthur "Donnie Baseball" Mattingly* is their manager now.

So I said I would be honored to take it. And I am. Honored to remember a departed friend, one who was passionate for the game. Certainly to honor the history.

I'm quite pleased that they thought of me. And hey - if a Ted Williams ornament can hang on my Christmas tree, then an Ebbets Field model can sit on my shelf.

* I'm convinced that if Ron Santo can make it to the Hall of Fame, then there is definitely hope for Donnie Baseball. It's clear the standards have changed. Sorry to irritate Cubs fans**, and I'm not saying this to do so, but it is becoming the Hall of Very Good, even Quite Good. It might even be, at times, the Hall of Fame of Great People, who were also Very Good Baseball Players (see: Kirby Puckett and by all accounts, Ron Santo). The excuse on Mattingly will be that he didn't play long enough, and he didn't. So now we must hope for excellence as a manager. Just not with the Dodgers.

** I just watched Catching Hell, the story of Steve Bartman and the 2003 National League Championship. Wow, that was not exactly a great moment for Cubs fans (and reminded me just how badly Red Sox fans behaved after the Bill Buckner affair of 1986). Shame on them, and others who behave so egregiously.

Could Mike Francesa Save Christmas? What?

My friend Richie Spezzano sent this along. A little parody of your fancy WFAN in New York City and don't forget the ONE-eight-seven-seven-three-three-seven-six-six-six-six (that's how Steve Somers presents the phone number).

I thought this was quite funny.


Of course hearing Steve Somers being parodied in the video made me long for the real thing! If you've never heard him, then you just need to listen and give him a a chance. Here's our guy, the former "Captain Midnight" who should be doing middays or something else to take some of the stink out of the radio these days (what is it already?).


That was from 2007. Anything has to be better. I mean, for the love of Keith Jackson, Ryan Ruocco called the Pinstriped Bowl yesterday. 

Happy...er...New...uh...Year

I don't normally speak those words - "Happy New Year." Jeez, I think my hands went numb as I typed them.

But I'm trying. It's still one of those things that needs to be on my "I don't get it" list, but so be it. It's arbitrary to me. But I have hopes for 2012. The biggest thing - for me - is to continue to move forward. Consider where things were just a few years ago. I just went back and looked at each post to finish out the year - dating back to 2006, when I didn't even say anything about the New Year, just the death of Saddam Hussein. None of them were anything special, and perhaps a little too self-loathing.

We all know today/tonight is overrated. But as with anything, it's what you make of it. Plus it's who you spend it with. I've had New Year's Eve that have - to be blunt - sucked. I've had other years that I enjoyed - like going with Mick and Gretchen to Sharon and Tom's house in 2009/2010. Despite being sick, it was a very nice night. And low and behold, 2010 became a pretty OK year in that I met someone really important.

Not saying that was the reason. Just...saying. Besides, Mick still takes rightful credit for being the person who got me to meet that person.

I'm babbling.

Anyway, tonight Facebook and Twitter will be loaded with many "HNY's" across the web. I'm beating everyone to the punch.

I'm hopeful for 2012. Hopeful for continued improvement. Hopeful for good health and peace for all. Hopeful to get closer to what and where I want to be. Excited for a road trip in about 10 days (if everything comes together). Of course, that could happen any day - why does it need to start tonight?

See? I still don't get it. And why did we take Auld Lang Syne, a song which had NOTHING to do with New Year's Eve and let Guy Lombardo eff the damn thing up?

Oh let's not end it like that. Let's end it with the love that I feel for all of you for reading this blog (and ever so much as giving a whit about me), and for caring when I don't write. This was a year personal growth and rebirth. I wrote less but chose my words and topics more carefully (plus I was so busy that I often didn't have time). This was a year of triumph and sadness. A year of whacky weather. Of San Diego and Los Angeles and so much more.

In a lot of ways, it was like any other year. And yet, I want more in 2012. I hope you do too.

Happy New Year to you all. May you find what it is you want.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. John Lennon. Given the chance, this is what I would sing tonight at midnight.

Christmas Songs

I've really not been into the many Christmas (and holiday) songs this year. Maybe I've just grown tired of hearing the same old stuff, or I just wasn't into the season.

Whatever. Rolling Stone asked their readers to list their faves. The results are here.

I recently asked two different people (both female) about the Mariah Carey song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and they both independently agreed that not only do they love it, but they otherwise loathe Carey. Admittedly it gave me a new take on the song, but it still doesn't mean I personally like it.

I don't have enough time to simply break down my top tunes, but you can't go wrong with these:

- Do They Know It's Christmas (Band Aid)
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Bruce Springsteen)
- Step Into Christmas (Elton John)
- Happy Christmas (War is Over) (John and Yoko)
- Wonderful Christmastime (Paul McCartney)
- Father Christmas (The Kinks)
- Run Rudolph Run (Chuck Berry)
- Christmas Wrapping (The Waitresses)
- The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole)
- Please Come Home For Christmas (The Eagles)
and, this amazing song that not many people in this country know
- Fairytale of New York (The Pogues & Kirsty McColl)


There are others that are purely goofy and remind me of simpler times ("The Chipmunk Song" or the Singing Dogs doing "Jingle Bells"), or Huey Lewis and the News doing "Winter Wonderland" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" but this quick list hits the notes for me. I'm missing a few, but it's late. I have to go to bed now.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I just wanted to write to say thank you for what you do for my little boy. He is a blessing, and while I'm sure you can't take responsibility for who he is (I suppose I deserve at least a little credit and/or blame for that), I think you still deserve a nod for keeping his belief strong. He hasn't been bitten by the skepticism that most nine-year-old's allow to happen.

He diligently spoke of you this evening, wondering aloud about whether we would get home before you arrived (we did), and what he would write in his letter to you. If it was an act, he was putting on a performance worthy of Laurence Olivier. At home, before I could even get upstairs, he had already changed into his pajamas and cleaned up the living room. Only you have the power to make that happen without badgering him.

He thought hard about his letter to you. In the car, he discussed if he should ask you about your boot size. Ultimately he passed on that question but opted for your thoughts about M&M's. He also considered what you wanted to drink. Maybe a Vitamin Water? No - he figured you might want some water, given that so many other kids leave beer or milk for you. His thinking what that water would keep kidney stones away. He saw me suffer with that last year and didn't want you to meet the same fate. Soon he was tucked away in bed.

I know he is a "young" nine, in that there is a wondrous amount of naivete in him. That's a blessing and a curse, but I love that innocence. Especially tonight, as you can imagine.

We did our best this year, you and I. He won't be thrilled with the clothes portion of his gifts (no kid ever is) but I hope he appreciates the other goodies. He's still too young to grasp the concept of simply wishing for health and happiness, and I read the look on his face when we gathered with our family this evening and the amount of packages thrust in front of him paled in comparison. He simply isn't at the point of understanding quantity versus quality, or getting the "true meaning of Christmas", or that having love of family and friends is enough. Believe me, he has an abundance of that.

With all of that said, I know he won't read this, so I can tell you out loud (and then again, you being omnipotent, you already know) that I bought him a Trivial Pursuit game based on the TV show Family Guy. Some uptight, Parents magazine-reading parent will no doubt condemn me to being the worst parent since the most recent bad parent, but I'll live with it. For us, it is an important father/son point of bonding. The show was something that helped bring us together during some rough times. We sat together, in my room, and watched the show. To him it's a cartoon, and as I've already mentioned, he is quite naive (as was I around the same age). Most of the jokes go over his head. Beyond that, we have an understanding about not repeating what we see. It's our little thing. Sorry if that offends some of my readers, but I think you understand.

I'm sorry for these rambling thoughts, but I wanted to reinforce that you have a very strong believer sleeping upstairs. That seems rare to me, as too many kids - especially the tougher, more jaded ones - want to ruin it for others. He believes in you and it is touching to see. He won't always, but like most of us, he'll come back.

We all do.

Merry Christmas, and thank you.

Love,
Rob

HLN's Christmas Message (and Mine too)

The music of Huey Lewis and the News. The words of the bands' drummer, the one-and-only Bill Gibson. Nicely done. Watch.



Peace on Earth.

My Christmas message is pretty much the same. I hope for health, happiness, and peace. I would love to see an end to war, but since some of this planet have been at it for roughly 3000 years or so, I'm a little skeptical of that. None the less, we can always hope.

I'm not looking for gifts. I only care about the love and safety of my family and friends, whom I am so fortunate to have many of. Plus I'm beyond lucky to have Carrie in my life.

That's basically it.

Oh yeah, and a Steelers win today would be nice, and 24 hours of A Christmas Story. And maybe a starting pitcher to solidify the Yankees' rotation...

Just kidding. Merry Christmas!

Some George Harrison Music

Unless you're new to the blog, you probably know that I own as much of The Beatles' music as possible - within reason. I also own some of their solo work - plenty of Paul's and some of John's.

None of Ringo's. Yet.

As of last night, I finally have some of George's.

Now, I went the easy route and picked up a "best of", specifically, Let It Roll: songs by George Harrison. It hits the many of the highlights of George's post-Beatles years, with a few exceptions, most notably his work with the Traveling Wilbury's.

Overall, I'm fairly pleased. Plus once downloaded, it makes for part of a nice playlist on my iPod, with George's Beatles work and the Wilbury's included. Overall, a solid little Christmas present for me!

It's hard to pick just one song from this collection, but this will do. This is George's tribute to John, with a little help from both Ringo and Paul (as well as Linda McCartney and Denny Laine).


And Ringo - you're next!

The Beatles Albums

Coming your way via iTunes. In a mere 30 seconds.


And since they used just a touch of "Magical Mystery Tour" in the spot, and since I've had this song in my head recently, let us bring you a full version of it!

MLB Changes

It would be too easy to add on to the misery that is the life of a New York Mets fan these days (more loans, Johan Santana might not be ready for Opening Day, etc), so we'll just let that be. I have my thoughts on that franchise and they're not popular.

So let's move on and proceed to this article from the AP, via ESPN. It outlines the changes in the new MLB CBA. The league is growing up. I suppose that's OK. None of this was really too eye-opening to me. Read for yourself and let me know what you think.

A Few Beatles Vids

God-like radio figure Bruce Figler (OK, so he's a good guy) posted this video on Facebook tonight - what exactly would the Fab Four look like today (yes, assuming they were all still alive)?


That video led me to this. I knew that Macca played at Ritchie's 70th birthday concert, but I hadn't seen any video. Until now. W-o-w. It sounded fantastic.

Happy Birthday to My Father

My Dad would have been 82 today. No doubt we would have watched the Army-Navy game later today, as we always did.

That is all.

Lists - We Love Them

It's fairly well-known around Exit 55burgh* that I'm a fan of lists. They, as always, make for good discussion and blood-pressure raising. So it was that Carrie passed along a list of lists that were in email she received.

* Which is an exit past that city where James Harrison did something so bad in last night's win over the Browns that even I can't defend. I mean, come on man! This leading with your helmet thing is just bad!

GQ presents the 25 LEAST Influential People Alive! Heck even Bono made this list. Personally I think Chuck Schumer should be on here...oh wait, he inspires me to have near-heart attacks every time I hear him on the radio because some poor reporter needs a friggin sound byte.

Here's The Worst Sentence of 2011, courtesy of The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. You mean it didn't involve the Kardahsian's?

My son would probably enjoy seeing the Ten Weirdest Life-forms of 2011 from National Geographic. Apparently Tim Tebow is not one of them. Oooohhh...bad?

US News and World Reports presents America's Meanest Airlines! No. Shock. Here. Alec Baldwin certainly won't be surprised.

For you book lovers, we have the Best Science Books (Confessions of a Science Librarian), Top Five Book Club Picks (NPR), and the Ten Best Books of 2011 (New York Times).

I've heard The Art of Fielding is fantastic, by the way. Just in case you don't know, I'm sort of, you know, a baseball fan. Even if this isn't really a baseball book - and yet, it is. Just sayin'.

For some reason, Forbes gives us Thailand's 40 Richest. Since I doubt you'll ever see that sentence again here, I had to write it. It's just too funny.

Travel+Leisure presents the World's Best Hotels for 2011. I'm going to be realistic here with y'all. I stayed in the US Grant Hotel in San Diego back in January. I'm fairly certain it was in my top-10, if not top-5 of my lifetime. If things break correctly, I'm going to Charleston in January, and I suspect that hotel may also be in that group. In short, I don't normally stay in the top places. I like nice hotels - but within reason. The Hyatt Place that Carrie and I recently stayed at in Bethlehem, PA was quite cool. Yes...Bethlehem, PA. Via Priceline. Sweet.

So this list - of hotels in Tanzania, South Africa, and other places that aren't exactly on the ol' radar - didn't quite hold it for me. That said, the places are quite interesting.

The 45 Most Powerful Images of 2011 from BuzzFeed. Simply awesome.

I'm just giving you a small sample of the many lists out there. Here are a few more:

Auto Correct is often my biggest enemy. Damn You Auto Correct presents the 25 funniest.

From Pitchfork comes the 25 Worst Album Covers (NSFW). Yep.

Busted Coverage selected the 70 Most Memorable Sports Moments (in photo form).

Courtesy of Draft Magazine comes America's 100 Best Beer Bars. Drink up!

List and Grades gives us the Ten Worst TV Shows.

Well I think we've got the idea here. There's a list for everyone.

And when all else fails, we need more COWBELL! The 12 Most Toptastic Cowbell Rock n' Roll Songs! Even The Beatles made this list, so it's ALL GOOD.

Off-Site: Bobby Valentine

(Photo: Adam Hunger/Reuters)

After a dreadful month of non-writing in November (only 10 posts?!), I'm hopefully ramping back up. Here's a post I did for the Big Fat Marketing Blog on Bobby Valentine's potential impact in New England.

Holy cow, I think this hiring is inspired. Will it produce on the field? I think it will eventually. That's normally the problem - Bobby V's shelf-life. Off the field, I like him. He's been very nice to me each time I've been around him.

On the field?

He's the Red Sox manager. He was the Mets manager. Do I need to say anymore?

The Boss's Best Collaborations

This is old, but I read it just now. Some good stuff here, via Rolling Stone. A couple of personal favorites are his get-together's with Neil Young...er...Jimmy Fallon, Melissa Etheridge on a great "Thunder Road", the supergroup of Bruce, Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl and Little Steven doing "London Calling" at the '03 Grammys, and joining R.E.M. for "Man on the Moon."

Cool stuff. Enjoy.

A Strong Headwind (Giggity)

I saw this episode of Family Guy last night. Positively hysterical - from Peter's fascination with the "Redneck lifestyle" following his attending a comedy show similar to the "Blue Collar Tour" of years ago, to the "Prom Night Dumpster Baby", to Mayor Adam West's Bush-like reaction to a plane crash, to Quagmire dancing down a hill a la Melissa Gilbert in Little House on the Prairie.

Yet the scene that might crack me up the most is this simple 26 second bit.


Just. Because.

Never Give Up

I heard this speech on Steven A Smith's radio show tonight. It's Jimmy V week around ESPN to raise money and awareness for The V Foundation.


I think if you can listen to or watch this speech with a heart that isn't jaded, and remove some of the negativity that is associated with Jim Valvano (or even if you can't - he was hardly a saint), you will find that this is one hell of an emotional speech.

He died less than two months after this speech.

Please. Make. It. Stop.

I love The Big Bang Theory. Absolutely funny stuff.

But holy ear candy, Batman! The theme song gets lodged in my brain every time I watch it. I'm guessing that's the charm of Barenaked Ladies, the performers of the little ditty.


I'm guessing that's their charm. You know, the "If I Had a Million Dollars" guys. Perhaps that charm would have worked for me if I had been, say, in college when they were popular.

And stoned.

I was neither.

Damn song.

I need a "Bazinga." Or 10.

A History of Highway Signs

File this one under "not for everyone", but I certainly enjoyed it.

On The Road Less Taken's website, we have part one of a history of road signs (here in the good ol' US of A). Just a nice little primer for why we see what we see on the road.

I loved the reference to the "Kodachrome" signs of Florida, which always stuck out to me when I was a kid. You can see a red US 19 sign, taken by me in Tarpon Springs, Florida in 1986 at the top of this post.

Criticism

In a recent post, I made reference to an email I received that basically said "you suck" in so many words.

So when I read the comments of Kansas City Royals pre- and post-game host Robert Ford (whom I know in a very vague way via social media), I was pleased.

Robert's blog post is here. For me, the winning lines were these:

Some people in media respond regularly to negative things that are written about them online, but I don’t. Most of the time, I think it would be a waste of time to respond and I think jumping on every negative comment or blog post makes one look paranoid and hypersensitive, two adjectives I never want to be used to describe me.

That's exactly what others have said to me as well. There's still a part of me that wants to respond. What chafed at me about the email, besides it being just plain uninformed, was that it was not only an indictment of me, but it was also a shot at my team. I didn't appreciate that.

Then again, it's, you know, an opinion...

I appreciate Robert's take - the words of a pro.

The NBA? What's That?

Apparently, there's this thing called the National Basketball Association.

I think I've heard of it.

Still, this can't be the NBA of George Mikan, or Bob Cousy, right? Of Russell, Clyde, the Captain, Jerry West, Jordan, Magic, Bird, Ewing...

Oh you get the idea.

The NBA, if you haven't heard, recently resolved their labor dispute and will tip off on Christmas Day. The problem was, the silence was deafening. The NBA has been going through an image problem for years, and despite that, had a great season last year, including a "the bad guys lose" Finals in which the vaunted big three in Miami lost to the Mavericks.

Yet once the labor wars began, it was like nobody cared. Certainly the people that I've tried to get interested in the NBA made it quite known that they were overjoyed that NBA wasn't around, and didn't care if it ever came back.

Personally, give me basketball and the NBA over a lot of other things, but different strokes and all. Still, give me college hoops, but that's a whole different bucket of fish.

So the apathy is still apparent. I suspect there will be a little kick in interest right around Christmas, then it will fade until early February (that's when the NFL throws this big orgy of an event that apparently includes an actualy football game). After that, the NBA will have its chance to shine.

At the same time, hockey just shakes its collective head.

That's enough basketball for now. Back to "The Big Bang Theory."

Off-Site: Winter Classic Sweaters

I've begun writing for another outlet, Penton Media's Big Fat Marketing Blog.

Actually, it's about four months overdue for me to contribute, but hey, given that I'm in the midst of my lowest output here in double five land, nothing should be expected, right?

My first topic is the Winter Classic Sweaters, as the Rangers debuted their new look yesterday in Central Park.

I didn't reveal my opinion on them in the Big Fat Marketing Blog post, but I will here: Meh.

Simply put, they're...um...OK. I'm just not all that impressed by them. And since the Rangers want to sell more merchandise (come on, I know you're hearing Mel Brooks right now). Truthfully, that's the bottom line, and if the response from a fanbase is tepid (which I'm not saying it is), then they're not going to sell a lot.

As I alluded to in the post, the sweaters are outdated on January 3rd. It better be worth it.

GHS Football, 2011

Most of your WGCH Radio Team for 2011: Chris "Kato" Kaelin, Sean "Killer" Kilkelly, Nick "Fantana" Angotto, Rob "Captain Greenwich" Adams, Chris "Janitor Wingman" Erway, and Ryan "Deemer" DeMaria.  Photographed by Carrie, November 24, 2011.

Two-thousand and eleven is the year that I'd like to forget in broadcasting Greenwich High School football on WGCH.

At least it started out that way.

And came to a crashing end yesterday.

The Cardinals were a team of lesser expectations. They were coming off a 5-5 year in 2010, and while many expected them to be in the mix this year, not many saw them as an FCIAC finalist.

Yet it was there for the taking yesterday at Staples in Westport. Oh Lord, it was there. The Cardinals led 27-17 with eleven minutes to play. Then things went astray. The dream of the 13th conference title, and a trip to the state playoffs, died as the Wreckers rallied to win, 31-27.

That's sort of why we're writing this tonight.

I can't go into everything that happened this year. It just wouldn't be appropriate or professional. People and things had to be phased out in favor of others. Feelings got hurt. And I obsessed over it all.

Along the way, we encountered a snow storm like we've rarely seen during the season. Games got rescheduled and messed with our schedules. Guys who couldn't make games due to work, or other commitments. Without the help of Paul Silverfarb, I likely would have called Greenwich and Westhill following the snow storm on my own.

Oh, and then there was the email from a listener that asked for me to quit. The one that swore that it couldn't be the first one I've received (it was). The thing is, if you don't like me - fine. But give me specifics. Are we too glib? Read too many ads? Blame me for the technical issues? Don't like my voice or my cadence?

Hey, you're entitled to your opinion. Problem was: that email only made my resolve stronger to keep doing this for many more years.

And so it was that, come yesterday, the team assembled at Staples. Nick Angotto (our new studio operations guru) surprised us by showing up...something I never expected. I won't live down my reaction to that. Ever. We gathered for breakfast, Nick went to the studio, and we rocked out one great broadcast. Knowing that the future is never certain, I couldn't be prouder of the note this group went out on.

I think that's why, after all was done and Greenwich had lost, I was pretty sad as I finished on the air. Because in the end, I had a ball, and didn't want it to end. I was pleased, and wished we had more games to do. I wished I had more spots for the many people who want to work with us.

Scott Gentile did a great job in the studio (and on-site for a game). He got married, affording Nick Angotto the chance he wanted. Bob Small was our backup board-op and constant engineer. He always made sure we sounded as good as we could. Sean Kilkelly was the same guy I've worked with since 1999. Chris Erway kept me laughing and kept me solid, yelling over me when Shane Nastahowski climbed the ladder for the Cards' first TD. Something about it made me laugh.

Chris Kaelin was a rock, as always, speaking in his native "Kato" language, yet all the while calling for the booth space, and hunting for info. Ryan DeMaria, the new guy, brought tremendous knowledge and patience, while showing a great skill for keeping stats on his trusty computer.

Am I missing anyone? Well I think we all owe a certain something to the players, coaches, and families. To the people who always support us, wherever we might be. That includes our girlfriends, wives and kids. I know Carrie counseled me through many a brainstorming moment.

I've said it so many times. It's a labor of love. We aren't getting rich. We struggle in many ways to get on the air.

But these are the guys who I chose. They're the ones I want helping me for hockey (well, paging Mr. John Spang also). God forbid we ever get basketball back on. Or baseball.

Come next September, they're the ones I want to help me call Greenwich football in 2012.

I've Got It Bad...and I Like It!

I was just exchanging texts with a certain someone in New York City (well, Brooklyn to be exact) when she told me that I had forgotten to take something with me when I left her place.

Specifically, the yummy matzo ball soup that her aunt made for Thanksgiving yesterday. Hard to believe. Me. Picky. Likes it.

Now the chopped liver was good...but I only had a quick taste. I get points for trying that, no?

Anyway, I started to write back to the person in question that I had too much to carrie when I left.

Yes, that is a misspelling. I'm normally a good writer - I spell well, and my grammar is good.

I realized my mistake before I hit "send", but I laughed to myself.

Just a reminder that I might deeply like this person...

Richmond's Main Street Station

(Photo Courtesy Shorpy)

There is, over at the fascinating Shorpy photography site,this amazing photo (seen above) of the wonderful Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia (that's R-Va, of course).

The station was the last true landmark before the billboards for South of the Border kicked in on I-95.  But...wait a tick.  The road isn't in this view, taken in 1905 (no duh).

I took a shot of it in 2009 from the opposite side of the tracks/highway:

They tried to put stores in there. Didn't work. Amtrak rolls through here. It's a train station - in all its grandeur.

JoePa is Out

Every time I hear more about the story at Penn State...in detail...I get further sick.

Terrible.

Ultimately, despite the fact that Joe Paterno is legally innocent, Penn State couldn't afford to let him continue to coach. I'm still in shock that those at the just-completed press conference sounded like they were members of the Paterno family. It was a rough night for those of us in the media.

Kids were hurt. Badly. Lives were destroyed. And those in State College are outraged that their old Joe Paterno won't be allowed to coach again? The level of failure rolls so far down on this thing. Of course Penn State needed to clean house.

But let's not forget that this is more about Jerry Sandusky before its about Joe Paterno. It's also about the victims.

This whole situation is bad, folks.

Honestly, I have nothing further to add.

Yeah, Football...Nooooo...

As the "October Noreaster" began heading towards us, I feared for the impact it would have on our weekend.

Answer: not...good.

Sean and I headed off to Greenwich this morning, armed with the knowledge that the weather would be bad, and our day would be long. I packed as if we might not make it home - a shovel, sleeping bags, some food, and so on. We reached Greenwich around 10:30, just as the rain/snow began to fall.

Cardinal Stadium did not reveal a happy scene. A Greenwich/Darien soccer game was going on (GHS won, 1-0) but the snow got heavier and, worse, it began to stick.

In the booth, Chris Erway, Chris Kaelin and I set up shop, and Sean Kilkelly joined us later. With a 1:15 PM air time, we were comfortably prepared. The problem was that nobody else seemed to be showing up.  The stands were empty, but everyone still prepared as if there would still be a game.

Just before 1:00, our friend and GHS all-world operations guru Brian Kennedy gave us a "thumbs down" from the bottom of the grandstand. The game was off; postponed until Monday at 2:00.

From what a few people told us, it appears that Greenwich tried to move the game to Friday night at 7:00 PM, thus avoiding the weather problems, but the school has already used its allotted number of nights.

It seems a certain GHS neighbor (the man who so vocally complained about the installation of lights) would rather have people on the roads in a heavy snowstorm than have him be inconvenienced with some noise and light glare.

So Sean (my son) and I hit the road, thinking we could get home without incident (but thanks to both Chris Kaelin and Chris Erway for offering us a place to stay). We made it out of Cardinal Stadium and back to our WGCH offices before starting our trip back to Mahopac. Early on, all seemed great. We were moving well along Interstates 95 and 287. But if you haven't heard, meteorologists often use 287 as the dividing line of a storm. Accurately in this case.

We pushed through North White Plains as the situation deteriorated. It got worse along the Taconic State Parkway, as the road was dotted with busted tree branches that blocked lanes. South of Millwoood, Sean spotted a branch tumbling down.

North of Millwood, our trip almost crashed to an end. I moved into the left lane to get around a car that was just a touch too cautious on an incline, and I needed to build up a little speed for the climb. Unfortunately my tires didn't grab the roadway (this was just past a Camaro that was trying to BACK DOWN the road) and we narrowly avoided a guard rail. I used the moment to teach Sean about how to steer when slipping.

Somewhere around this point is when the windshield wiper blade in front of me began to break.  It never impacted my vision for the rest of the trip, but it was just one more thing to think about.

We made it through our next set of hazards: the steep drop before the Croton Reservoir bridge, the small climbs and descents, and even dead stoppage at the US 202/NY 35 exit, which marks the beginning of another decline, before having to climb again to get to US 6 at Jefferson Valley.

That's where I made a fateful decision.

I saw the brake lights on the Taconic, yet chose to stay the course. I found out later on that using US 6 (and thus NY 6N) would be no walk in the park either. Yet the reality was, the traffic slowed to a crawl as cars were struggling to climb a gradual incline. A couple of vehicles spun terribly, and I could do nothing but stop.

At that point, my tires could take no more.

I tried the right lane, where I noticed a few cars had created a new path. No dice. My only answer was to get off the road and wait - hopefully - for a plow.

Sean, bless him, was calm as could be. He read one of his "Wimpy Kid" books while I cleaned the car off, and I chatted with occasional passers-by.

One note: not everyone is heartless. Several motorists stopped to ask if we were OK. One went so far as to ask if we needed a ride. Very cool - thank you.

Eventually, I helped push a car or two. In total, the wait was close to an hour, when a couple of guys appeared up the road to push one of the cars still sitting (this one in the middle of the road). I helped them push another car before they came down and got me loose.

Oh, what a scene it was! A car heading southbound slammed into the center guardrail at one point, and after a while, picked up his detached bumper and drove away! I also heard the sound of creaking, cracking trees, just ready to fall. Fortunately I felt we were out of harm's way.

I thought we were in a fairly safe spot.

I still don't know who those two men were, and they weren't looking for money, but they did get Sean and I out of there. That was the good news.

The bad news was the northbound Taconic State Parkway was like an old ice hockey surface: very slippery, choppy and dangerous.

By the way, a big FAIL to New York State for not getting a plow on the Taconic. It's only a very main road.

Still I was able to reach Bryant Pond Road and exit safely, to discover that the road had been plowed. Yet...it hadn't been salted. Or sanded.

I slipped as soon as we got on it.

I knew we had two more hills to deal with - one down and one up. We started down the first hill, and as soon as I hit tapped the brakes, I knew we were in trouble.

The car wouldn't stop. Our saving grace was a landing at the bottom of this portion of the hill before we hit the big drop. I got the car under control and quickly decided to turn into the lot of a former gas station that neighbors use for parking.

At that point, I was finished, and I wasn't sure I could move the car any more.

Sean and I walked from there, carrying some of our stuff and safely hiking it the last half-mile or so to safety.

The moral of the story? I need new tires.

We're both safe, sound, and dry.

The car will be there when I go back in the morning.

Oh one last note - Connecticut held their Cross Country finals today. Greenwich came in 7th, with friend Kathryn Bernstein on the team. Twin brother Mark plays on the football team. Of course, no sport gets the attention that football does, but I wanted to make sure we recognized it here. Congrats on a fine effort!

Adios, Baseball

The season is over.

The Cardinals won. I have nothing more to say.

I have a different group of Cardinals to deal with later today, as Greenwich hosts Westhill on Homecoming Day. Weather will be a huge factor, with rain and snow expected. Yet as of now, it's game on.

The Playmakers and I will be on the air at 1:15 PM. You know where: WGCH.

We Will See You Tomorrow Night!

Well, actually, it will be later on tonight.

Any instant classic is over in St. Louis. Among the best World Series games I have ever seen. I am wide awake. Damn them!

Twice I was one Twitter, and had written a congratulatory tweet to the Rangers. Each time I sat and waited for the final out. Twice I erased what I wrote.

Joe Buck's call echoed his dad*, who used this when he called Kirby Puckett's Game 6 walk-off in 1991.

*OK, to be fair, Buck used a similar version of the line in the 2004 ALCS (which I disregard as having actually been played). But I believe what he said was, "We'll see you later tonight."

Maybe it's the father/son thing tugging at me, but I really liked it. It was fitting, and well-done by Buck, Tim McCarver and the FOX team for letting the pictures tell the story. I especially liked McCarver's line after the home run:

"How did this happen?"

We'd all like to know that.

Game 7, for the first time since 2002, is later tonight.

By the way, I'm no fan of his, but kudos to Tony LaRussa for ripping the whole "Moneyball" thing.

Really well-said.

Baseball Fever!

Didn't we have this chat about a month ago? I think so - right here.

I watched hockey tonight. Best to not get into how bad a night it was at Madison Square Garden (Chanting for Sean Avery? Really?).

Yet I kept my eye on the World Series - Game 6 between the Rangers and Cardinals. Once hockey was over, it had my complete attention.

This game has been insane. Twice the Cardinals were down to their last strike. Twice they've tied the game.

It's 9-9 in the Top of the 11th as I write.

Insane. The beauty of it is, I really don't care who wins. Oh, I'm sticking to my preference that the winner be the visiting team and, as such, that means the Rangers (plus I'm an American League guy), but I'll lose no sleep over it.

Trust me, if the Yankees were involved, I'd need an ambulance parked outside.

Once again, we see baseball at its best. Oh, don't get me wrong, this game has been ugly, but it's also been riveting. We once again see that baseball has no clock. You can't play a four corners defense. You can't take a knee. You can't skate around with the puck or play keep-away. You've got to throw the pitch. Down one or 10, there's always a chance.

Damn I love this game.

The Original Six Arenas

I was looking at NHL.com a little earlier when I came across a poll, asking for the "most iconic Original Six Arena."

OK...

The choices, of course, are Boston Garden, Chicago Stadium, Detroit Olympia, Madison Square Garden, Maple Leaf Gardens and Montreal Forum.

Well, now, I think we have to be more specific here, don't we? Any fan worth their sweater (hockey talk, people!) knows that your fancy New York Rangers played in two different versions of MSG - at 8th Ave and 49th St, and the Penn Station-destroyer that they're playing in now. Now, no offense to the current building (because I happen to like it a lot, maybe for sentimental reasons), but I just imagine the old place was more of a "hockey barn", much like the other five arenas.

So if that's what we're talking about, I'll vote for MSG, though to be honest, I also saw the Boston Garden, and liked that quite a bit also.

Anyway, who would you vote for - assuming all things are equal?

Oh, and the Rangers are playing tonight on Opening Night at World's Most Famous Refurbished Arena.

Charlie Hayes Might Have a Play...He's Got It!

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

That's how Vin Scully called it on CBS Radio 15 years ago tonight. The magic moment happened at 10:55 PM Eastern. I chose to watch it with friends in Yonkers, right at The Bronx line.

To a Yankees fan, 18 years is an eternity. I had watched the Rangers win the Cup in '94 and though I enjoyed it, I still hungered for a Yankees title.

No World Series has brought me anything like it. I literally couldn't wait for each game. I smuggled a radio into my photography class at Western Connecticut for Game 4, and raced home, hoping that the Yankees could somehow erase a 6-0 deficit (they did, of course).

Then came that Saturday night. The moment...seriously...that I had been waiting a long...long time for.


After hugging the fellow fans that I was with, I needed to step outside and have a moment to myself, exhorting "YES!" in the streets of Yonkers. I needed a moment to share with those I missed. I wondered what it would be like to talk with my dad about it, but sadly those moments aren't meant to be.

I floated home - quite sober, mind you - riding in Kevin Jaffe's Mazda Miata, with the top down, listening to all of the post-game talk on the radio. Though chilly, it was a amazing night, and all was right in my world.

The next day, I was on WREF radio in Ridgefield, CT. You better believe that, between the classic hits of Sinatra and others, there was plenty of baseball talk.

Fifteen years. Time marches on.

It's funny. That wasn't my first Yankees championship. I remember watching both 1977 and 1978, and am pretty sure I still have a scorecard I kept from the latter one. I treasure 1998, 1999 (I was at the clincher), 2000 (beating the Mets? Yes!), and 2009. I love them all equally, but there was something completely different about 1996.

Something amazing.

Something I will never forget.

From Richmond: A HoJo Flashback

I can't help but wonder if our good friend Jon from R-VA posts pictures on his blog and says to himself, "I bet Rob will use this on 'Exit 55'."

Well, yeah, this one was a near no-brainer.

It's got I-95 in its magnificent, mid-70's glory. It's also got Main Street Station, the last big landmark heading south before South of the Border. At least for a kid my age at the time.

But the picture also has a billboard for Howard Johnson's - a mere 13 miles away at Exit 6 back in the day on the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (then a toll road). I ate many times in that HoJo's, though we never stayed at the adjacent hotel. The Richmond area was, normally, a lunchtime stop on day one of our trips to Florida.

So you put all of these things together, and you have a picture that I quite enjoy.

A Hot Wheels Track That My Son Would Love!

I'm debating whether or not I will ever show this video to Sean, because he will want this.

I'm just speechless. A huge Hot Wheels track, created for charity.

Thanks to Co-Exec Producer Mick for this hat-tip. I should have known that when I told him I had a little touch of writer's block (along with not a lot of time to write lately), he would come up with something. He didn't disappoint.

I could have seen my cousin and I trying to build something like this, but getting denied by our parents!

The link is from Yahoo! The video link is here.

The Red Sox Collapse, Animation Style!

Via Masshole Sports, with a hat tip to our "Executive Producer" Harold (and co-Exec Producer Mick has a contribution of his own coming up), we have some video from a company called Next Media Animation. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the laugh!

Wonderboy

It's cliche. It's a total desecration of the book. It's an over-the-top fantasy.

Exactly.

2011 World Series

So the World Series starts tonight. The anticipation is...

nonexistent.

Let's be honest. Outside of St. Louis and Texas, nobody seems to care. Now don't get me wrong, I've watched the World Series for as long as I can remember, so I will be in front of the TV (or next to a radio) for the games, but I can't remember a Series that nobody seems to be excited about.

For me, it's a no-win. I don't like anything from Texas (Cowboys, Hook 'em Horns, Astros, Stars, and on and on). I don't like the Cardinals...or Tony LaRussa. I get sick of hearing about everything being bigger in Texas...and that St. Louis fans are the best baseball fans in the baseball town in the best baseball world!

BARF!

So here's what I gave decided. While I think it would be novel of me to root for the Cardinals (get it? Cardinals?), I am going to root for the winning team to do so in the opposing ballpark. That's it. Let the home fans suffer, so that we don't have to watch some insufferable home team celebration (and they've all become that).

That's the best I can give you. There have been other, less-celebrated Series that have turned out really well. I can remember not being excited at all for (don't read this, Tim Parry!) 1997, between the Indians and Marlins. But that went seven games, and ended on a walkoff hit. The Braves and Twins didn't excite either, but that was one of the best I've ever seen.

There's always hope. Let the best team win.

George Harrison: Living in the Material World

I finally got to see Martin Scorsese's George Harrison: Living in the Material World, and I agree with those who gave the documentary such high ratings. It is a wonderful, vivid account of the life of a complex, interesting soul. The two living Beatles are heard from, but not overwhelmingly. For while George was a Beatle, that wasn't his life. Heck, that was the very point of his life.

Still, let's hear from Ringo (and Eric Clapton) discussing "Here Comes the Sun."


What I got out of it was that Olivia Harrison was, perhaps, the most ordinary, yet graceful of the "Beatle wives" (meaning Harrison, Linda McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Maureen Starr). Scorsese left few stones unturned, talking with Astrid Kirchherr, Klaus Voormann, Ravi Shankar, Tom Petty, Ray Cooper, Jim Keltner, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Yoko Ono, Dhani Harrison, Pattie Boyd (yes, "Layla"), Phil Spector (looking freaky as always), and even Jackie Stewart (yes, the Formula One driver).

But at the end of the day, it's Harrison himself (via archive footage) along with McCartney and Starr who steal the show. Ringo chokes up revealing the contents of the last conversation he had with George, wiping away a tear before exclaiming, "It's like Barbara (bleeping) Walters in here, isn't it?!"

George was famous, in his later years, for not enjoying touring and performing live, but here he is playing with Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, and Phil Collins (along with Ringo) on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". This is from the 1987 Prince's Trust Concert.


If it's possible to be a Beatle and be underrated, George Harrison was it.

Break In

So that gives you a rough idea of how Carrie and I started our day yesterday. The look on her face when she discovered the busted out window was enough for me.

Sometime Monday night, someone broke into my car. They stole my GPS and a phone charger.

I just got the window fixed (though that revealed a deeper problem with shoddy workmanship from a previous incident). So let's be honest: it wasn't that bad. Yes, one feels violated, and it's a nuisance on a few levels, but the losses are minimal (and it's just "stuff").

So that's it. I'm having dinner with Sean tonight. Then I'll watch the World Series.

Life, as always, moves on.

Done

The Tigers just won the Division Series. They earned it, with better pitching and clutch hitting. The Yankees didn't have that.

Congrats to the Tigers and Jim Leyland. Great manager, solid team. I'll root for them against Texas.

Side note: is it me, or is it perfect that the Yankees season ended tonight, and the Rangers (hockey, people) begin tomorrow? Of course I'll pay attention to the rest of the baseball playoffs, and naturally the NFL, but now the NHL is back. That's a good thing.

Personally I thought Joe Girardi horrifically over-managed this game. The CC Sabathia move didn't work. To be blunt, that was the difference in the game. Oh yeah, and third base coach Rob Thompson holding A-Rod at third wasn't exactly a great move.

But that's the way it goes. Some years, you get the big hit. The big break. The big catch, strikeout, etc. This year, it didn't happen. I didn't think it was going to happen either. I just never had that feeling this year.

Admittedly, I let a four-letter word fly - loudly - when Jeter's drive to right was caught. Hope springs eternal, I guess.

To be honest, I'm a fan with big expectations. When it comes to my teams - probably, most specifically, the Steelers and of course the Yankees - I don't "just" want to make the playoffs. It's World Series/Super Bowl, and win. Otherwise, no thank you.

I'm rambling. Best to say no more.

Go read Jeff Pearlman's book on Walter Payton.

Good night.

YouTube Wonders (Yankees Edition)

While looking for the video that I used in the previous post to honor Roger Maris, I came across some other goodies.

Oh baby, how I remember this. It was Game 2 of the 1995 ALDS. I went to Game 1, psyched to see my first playoff game, and to see Donnie Baseball play in October. One night later, he sent the old building into orbit (Gary Thorne on the call). Check out a very young Derek Jeter, invited to sit on the bench as a non-roster player, and Jorge Posada, used mostly as a pinch-runner(!) in that series. This happened just after a Ruber Sierra home run (John Sterling went for the "back-to-back and a belly-to-belly" call). The place went so bonkers that Mariners' manager Lou Piniella pulled his team off the field until things calmed down.


I was in the House for Game 1 of the 1998 World Series. It was my first Fall Classic game in person. The Yankees trailed the Padres 5-2 before Chuck Knoblauch tied it with a 7th inning three-run shot. All was well at that point. Then Tino Martinez strolled to the plate. For the first time, I felt Yankee Stadium shake (Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Bob Brenley on the call).


Let's hear the new place sound like that.

I'm not trying to turn this into an "I was there" post, but...yeah, the building shook...again. You know the story: 2001, New York is emotionally shot, the Yankees looked old early in the World Series, then win games 3 and 4 (dramatically, Tino and Mr. November). They're down two in the ninth. We've already saluted Paul O'Neil (too emotional for me), knowing it's his last game. They can't possibly come back again...can they?

Oh yeah. Here's Scott Brosius (as called by Joe and Tim, with Brenley in the Diamondbacks' dugout).


They won it later, and lost it in Game 7.

How about a non-Yankee moment by a former and future Yankee? This is Bobby Murcer at Wrigley Field in 1979, playing for the Cubs (wearing number seven in honor of Mickey Mantle). Bobby Ray left the Yankees in a trade for Bobby Bonds after the 1974 season. He would be traded back to the Yankees later in the '79 season. On this day, he singled in the bottom of the 7th of a game that the Phillies would win 23-22 in 10 innings. Dave Kingman would hit three homers for Chcago, and Mike Schmidt hit two, including the go-ahead shot in the 10th for Philadelphia.


This is a sad, yet interesting video. It comes from CNN on the day Mickey Mantle died in 1995. Funny because it features a young Nancy Newman (now of the YES Network). Sad of course, because it pays tribute to the passing of the great, yet flawed Mantle. Sadder, because I can't embed the video here. But I can embed this video of Mantle hitting a home run off of Whitey Ford in 1973 on Old Timer's Day (Mel Allen intros the video outside of the remodeled house).


I leave you with this: color footage of the 1939 World Series (the Yankees swept the Reds). The glorious old building looks like a painting in this. Back then, as you'll see, fans were allowed to exit via the field.


Plenty more to be found on YouTube and elsewhere.

Roger Maris Hit an Historic Home Run 50 Years Ago Today

Roger Maris made baseball history on October 1st, 1961 at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox. His 61st home run passed Babe Ruth for the most in a single season. It was a year in which the stars aligned for Maris, one that he sometimes wished had never happened. It wasn't until later that he appreciated it a lot more.

I'm not sure I've ever seen this video, taken from the broadcast on channel 11 (WPIX). Red Barber makes the professional, low-key call (joined by Mel Allen at the end, not a common thing at the time given that analysts weren't common yet). Of course we've all heard Phil Rizzuto's radio call ("Holy cow! Sixty-one for Maris!"). It's very cool to see the TV broadcast.


Maris was a classy, wonderful man, who died far-too-young, in 1985.

Congratulations, Roger, 50 years later.