30 Thursday May 2013
A few more Nats’ games in the next few weeks.
If one of these works for you, be the first to email me (Samesty84@gmail.com).
One seat is free. If you want two seats (and thus avoid my presence altogether), I’ll be glad to part with the tickets at face value ($50 a ticket).
Tuesday, June 4, 7:05 vs Mets
Thursday, June 6, 7:05 vs Mets
Saturday, June 8, 4:05 vs. Twins
Sunday, June 9, 1:05 vs Twins
Friday, June 21, 7:05 vs Rockies
11 Saturday May 2013
(AP Photo)
Several days ago I posted a short piece about Boston Globe’s sports’ columnist Dan Shaughnessy and his interview with David Ortiz about whether his (then) current hitting streak, etc. was a result of the use of steroids. “It’s preferable to question a man face-to-face than to tarnish him by whisper and innuendo,” Shaughnessy said.
Other than my indicating I have never particularly respected Shaugnessy, I refrained from commenting on the interview, preferring, instead, to let Ortiz’s responses be the answer to the ‘charges’.
Yesterday, after several days of controversy about this interview, Boston co-owner and Chairman of the Board Tom Werner published a column on the Red Sox website in response to the Globe column. (Werner has submitted this to the Globe. As of this posting, however, the Globe has not published it, tho it has defended Shaughnessy, saying, “The job of a journalist is to ask these hard questions, and then give a good airing and proper context to the answers.”)
See for yourself what Werner wrote: They had the right but was it right?
08 Wednesday May 2013
Posted in Go Sox
Photo by Matthew Lee/Boston Globe
Does he or doesn’t he?
Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe sports writer since 1981, eight times sports writer of the year and seven times named to AP’s top 10 list of sports columnists, etc., clearly has questions about how Ortiz can be performing so well that this stage in his life.
(Personally, I have not be a fan of Shaugnessy, never put him in the category of say a Tom Boswell or a Joe Posnanski. In fact, I’ve often felt he tries to carry on a tradition of Boston baseball writers who take a certain pleasure in being hard (tough, oppositional, nasty, negative, spiteful, you choose the best word) on the Sox and their players. Plus, he doesn’t seem to have much humility. Just saying…)
Nevertheless, Shaugnessy has an interesting article in today’s Globe. As you will see when you read the article, he says, “This (use of steroids) is an uncomfortable topic, but it’s preferable to question a man face-to-face than to tarnish him by whisper and innuendo.” So he went to Ortiz yesterday, and you can read for yourself what Ortiz said:
Dan Shaughnessy’s Boston Globe column today.
30 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Go Sox
If you’ve been a Red Sox fan as long as I have, 62 years, you no doubt understand the headline above.
At dinner last night, my wife of almost 45 years (and a ‘fair weather’ baseball fan — she only goes to games when the weather is fair) asked how the Sox were doing. When I told her they were 18-7, leading not only the AL East but also all of the majors, she said, “I guess they’re setting you up for their August fade.”
Could be.
If they continued at their present W-L rate (.720), they’d win 116 games.
Won’t happen, of course. Tho if they simply played at a .500 rate for the remainder of the season, they’d end up winning between 86-87 games, almost exactly what I predicted on March 18, 2013: Don’t Bother Reading This Post.
Still, Continue reading »
25 Thursday Apr 2013
Posted in Go Sox
Tags
"42", Jackie Robinson, Joe Posnanski, Read This & You'll Never Watch Baseball the Same Way, The Three Toughest Outs in Baseball, Tom Boswell
Readers of MillersTimes, or perhaps more specifically the GoSox portion of the the site, probably know by now that two of my favorite living, active sports’ writers are Tom Boswell and Joe Posnanski.
In fact, I think two of the best postings on GoSox, ones that I believe will change the way you look at baseball, were because of articles written be each one of these guys:
If you haven’t had a chance to read one or both of these, head there now.
If I am overstating the importance of the insights these two articles bring, feel free to let me know.
And as for this post and the title above, “There Are All Sorts of Truths”, I refer you to Joe Posnanski’s review of the new film 42 about Jackie Robinson.
I reviewed it earlier, “42” – A Home Run, and I stick by my review. But Posnanski fleshes out the film even further and explains, in more detail than did I, the strengths and weaknesses of the film.
Bottom line: he likes the film as an emotional, introduction to Jackie Robinson, but, he writes, “If you are looking for shades of gray storytelling about the most consequential sports story in American history, this isn’t your movie.”
Check out the review. It’s a good one.
18 Thursday Apr 2013
According to those who participated in the 2013 MillersTime Baseball Contests, the Tigers will win it all this year.
It’ll probably be the Nats they defeat in the World Series, tho some of you think the Nats will lose out in the NLCS to either the Giants or Dodgers, who then in turn will lose to the Tigers.
Got all that?
Tigers win World Series (Contest #6).
(Note: Last year you thought the Angels would beat the Phillies in the WS, and we know how far off that prediction turned out to be. For those whose memories are a bit challenged, neither the Angels nor the Phillies made the playoffs, and the Giants beat the Tigers in four games to win the WS.)
17 Wednesday Apr 2013
Posted in Articles & Books of Interest, Go Sox, The Outer Loop
from The New Yorker
And as some of you may know, the Neil Diamond song Sweet Caroline is the Boston Red Sox theme song. Yesterday, it was played at stadiums around the country, including at Yankee Stadium. Take a couple of moments to see it.
15 Monday Apr 2013
Posted in Escapes and Pleasures, Go Sox
April 15, 2013
42 ****
Not a grand slam, but a a solid homer.
As even those who don’t follow baseball know, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball (April 15, 1947).
He wouldn’t have done it without Brooklyn Dodger General Manager Branch Rickey, who chose Robinson because he believed Robinson could handle what would be thrown at the first negro to play in the Majors.
In Brian Helgeland’s new film 42, both those who know little and those who know a lot about baseball will walk away knowing more than when they entered the theater and with admiration for both Robinson and Rickey.
I suspect the far larger part of the audiences seeing the film don’t know many of the details of what happened between 1945-47. They will after seeing 42.
09 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Escapes and Pleasures, Go Sox
Here are a few more games that I have available for fans to join me at a Nats’ game. Actually, you don’t have to be a big baseball or a Nats’ fan, just interested in a pleasant evening at the park.
Let me know (Samesty84@gmail.com) if you’re interested.
On a different note, I’m still working on a spread sheet of the predictions all 47 of you made in the 2013 MillersTime Baseball Contests. But it may take me another week before I can complete that and send it out.
Finally, thanks to alert reader Harry S, see this morning’s NYTimes article For 2 Unheralded Players, a 3-Point Shootout by Ben Shpigel. Terrific sports’ writing.
02 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Go Sox
Tags
Yes.
162 is correct and not a misprint.
According to a young friend who studies these things (who ever knew there were such people?), apparently even though the Sox play 162 regular season games, they start the year with a magic number of 163.
Something about a need to put a cookie jar out of reach.
Once I return from this week’s trip to New Orleans, I’ll explain all of that in a future post for the few of you out there who may be interested in the metrics of such ‘foolishness’.
And the White Sox, Detroit, Houston, LAA, Seattle, Atlanta, Mets, Nats, Dodgers, Arizona, Cubs, Brewers also have magic numbers of 162, if I fully understand what this sabermatrician is trying to teach me.
Also, thanx to all of you who succumbed to my constant nagging (redundancy?) to participate in the 2013 MillersTime Baseball Contests.
I haven’t had time to put all the answers on a spread sheet yet; that will have to wait a week or so. But suffice it to say that not many of you picked either the Sox or the Yunkees to go all the way. In fact, many of you seem to believe neither will make it to the playoffs, but they will fight each other — for last place in the AL East.
Harrumph.
Better predictions for the Nats, however.
Cheers.
24 Sunday Mar 2013
Posted in Go Sox, The Outer Loop
Thanx to a tip from Andrew R, here is a lovely story about baseball, the Amish, and a part of America many of us don’t really know.
The Boys of Lancaster, by Kent Russell, New Republic, March 22, 2013
18 Monday Mar 2013
So what does this Sox obsessed fan say about the 2013 season?
First, I’m almost never correct; so you can stop reading now if you’re interested in accuracy.
Second, even when I try to be a bit objective, I have trouble tamping down my enthusiasm and hopes for the Sox.
Third, my two days at Spring Training this year mean nothing and has given me no real insight, tho it has gotten my juices flowing for the regular season. Plus, as everyone knows (and often overlooks), Spring Training bears no resemblance whatsoever to what happens in the regular season. Won-Lost records in March are useless, tho the last two weeks when most of the starters play most of the games might be indicative of something (perhaps the first couple of weeks of the regular season, at best). Spring hitting and pitching statistics are unreliable. And finally, a teams’ lineup for most of the year often differs significantly from that of Opening Day (re, injuries, etc.).
However, I can’t resist making a few predictions about the coming Sox season and a few other observations as well.
17 Sunday Mar 2013
Posted in Go Sox
Here are a few games I know are available if you want to join me.
Update: Sunday evening, Mar. 17: These games have now all been ‘claimed’. But I promise there are more to come.
There’s no cost to you for the ticket, tho you may have to buy me a beer.
First to email me gets the game.
There will be more games available after I choose my last set of tickets and once I know more about my spring and summer schedule.
So if there is not one here that works for you, be sure to check back every so often to see what else will come available.
Also, if you live outside of DC but know you will be here sometime between now and the end of September and want to see a game (together), let me know the date. I can always exchange my tickets if I don’t already have tickets for that day. To see when the Nats are home, go to their website.
08 Friday Mar 2013
Posted in Go Sox
Tags
Recently I came across an article about and an Interactive Map of where there are baseball statues around the US and Canada. If you are interested (i.e., hopelessly obsessed by all things baseball), you might want to take a look.
It might not be as exciting as say a project of going to all 30 baseball stadiums, something I know a few of you have thought about or started (and a possible further way for me to enjoy the freedom not working a day job has brought).
But you might enjoy clicking around the Interactive Map, seeing what’s in your area, or where you might be visiting. Most of them are of specific players, but there are also a few (see above) about baseball in general.
Let me know if you find particularly good statues.
08 Friday Feb 2013
Posted in Go Sox
Tags
This question is a no brainer, of course.
But a friend recently gifted me an original of a January 18, 1987 Washington Post article by my sports’ writing diety, Thomas Boswell, on this very subject. I don’t remember having seen this particular article and thought I’d pass it along.
“Let Me Count the Ways,” Boswell wrote more than a quarter of a century ago, and then continued:
Some people say football’s the best game in America. Others say baseball.
Some people are really dumb.
Some people say all this is just a matter of taste. Others know better.
Some people can’t wait for next Sunday’s Super Bowl. Others wonder why.
Pro football is a great game. Compared to hockey. After all, you’ve gotta do something when the wind chill is zero and your curveball won’t break. But let’s not be silly. Compare the games? It’s a one-sided laugher. Here are the first 99 reasons why baseball is better than football. (More after lunch).
Now the list of his first 99 reasons.
My favorites are: 11 (especially if you add that Weaver was once thrown out of a game before the game even started), 21, 25, 54, 60, 64, 69, 70, 72, 91. And those don’t include the ones Boswell must have listed after lunch.
Which ones are your favorites? (List them in the Comment section below.)
Or even better, list your own reasons why Boswell is correct.
And while I’ve never claimed MillersTime is either fair or balanced (as far as my views on baseball are concerned), you can see this lame list of 25 Reasons Football Is Better. (Some of these seem to make Boswell’s case even stronger.)
Finally, Frank Deford, someone I had also held in high esteem in the world of sports’ writing, at least until I came across this article, sees it differently.
What say you?