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I really love the All-Star Game Weekend. Okay, the game is on a Tuesday, so it's really midweek, but point being...
The MLB All-Star Game is still the best of the All-Star events I've seen. Aside from the frequent substitutions as managers aim to get everyone onto the field, it's the one event where they actually play and officiate the same as a regular game.
And it's neat to see All-Star caliber baseball lineups have to face All-Star caliber pitching. Plus that one guy who's only on staff because there had to be a representative from the Devil Rays. And all of the surrounding events are cool.
The Home Run derby is, at turns, fascinating and boring. On the one hand, there is much standing around and useless broadcast banter. On the other, you get to see the players just hanging out with each other and their kids. Genuinely palling around and having fun. (See Miguel Tejada and Manny Ramirez...) And you get to see the contrasts... players like Ken Griffey, Barry Bonds, Andruw Jones -- supremely gifted athletes, with perfectly beautiful swings, hitting lengthy blasts seemingly with effortless grace.
And then, there’s David Ortiz, and hitters of his ilk. Think back to Gorman Thomas and the like. Ortiz hits blast after blast, and is, all around, a fine batter. And I’m sure, a gifted athlete in his own right. And yet, it seems as though he is likely to fall over on every other swing. There’s something really entertaining about watching David Ortiz crush a flyball.
Hitters tend to have distinctive styles. Sammy Sosa’s little hop. Mark McGwire tossing away his bat like a used toothpick. Griffey’s smoothness as he’s half into a lope to first when the ball takes flight. Barry Bond’s pose and Reggie Jackson’s arrogant exit from the batter’s box.
And then, there’s David Ortiz. Ortiz doesn’t have that sort of grace. He rotates out of a swing and staggers to a stop. As though he might just lose balance or fall over on every swing. Obviously, it works for him, but the mechanics can’t possibly be right. He’s just a talented, powerful dude – who probably had to do a ton of work to avoid looking foolish. Though again, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any hitter look more foolish missing pitches than I remember Reggie Jackson looking. (John Kruk vs. Randy Johnson excepted)
I'm going to be playing softball today for the office team in a local league. I think, during BP, we'll be playing Batter Stance Charades again. My Julio Franco is pretty awesome.
Oh, and on the baseball cap vein…
As I have previously noted in other journals, I seem to have quite a collection of fitted baseball caps. Collection, being an inaccurate term. Collectors tend to take fine care of their prizes. I wear my hats. I wear ‘em a lot, and not a small number have gotten quite nasty. I’ve got multiples of the same hat – as replacements for ones that got skunky/salty, or of different sizes because of hair size variation. I’ve got multiple styles and colors for the same team.
I’ve been wearing ball caps on a pretty regular basis since I was sixteen. They shade the head. Hide the face in the back of class. Are a useful place to dump keys and wallets while staying in a hotel… They make hair care infinitely simpler. They cause premature thinning of the hair. And, for a conservative dresser such as myself, provide a somewhat distinctive way to accessorize.
Now, I also have winter hats, floppy fishing hats, and a fedora, but it’s the fun baseball caps. And so, (excepting random corporate and painter’s caps that don’t really count) I present the “Hatventory” of fitted ball caps:
Atlanta Braves
Arizona Diamondbacks 1994
Baltimore Orioles (Home)
Boston Red Sox 1975
Brooklyn Dodgers, 1912 (Home)
Brooklyn Dodgers, 1955
California Angels, 1995
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds 1961 (Home)
Denver Broncos
Florida Marlins 1993 (Home)
Midland Texas Highschool
Oakland Athletics
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1971
Pheonix Suns
Seattle Mariners, 1993 (Home)
Sherwood High School
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1994 (Home)
Tazmanian Devil
University of Maryland (Block M)
University of Maryland (Flag)
University of Maryland (Red)
University of Maryland (Testudo)
University of Michigan
University of Michigan Athletic Stretch
University of Texas
USS Russell DDG 59 Destroyer
Washington Nationals 2005 (Home)
Washington Nationals 2005 (Road)
Washington Redskins (Logo)
Washington Redskins (R)
Washington Senators, 1926 (Home)
The MLB All-Star Game is still the best of the All-Star events I've seen. Aside from the frequent substitutions as managers aim to get everyone onto the field, it's the one event where they actually play and officiate the same as a regular game.
And it's neat to see All-Star caliber baseball lineups have to face All-Star caliber pitching. Plus that one guy who's only on staff because there had to be a representative from the Devil Rays. And all of the surrounding events are cool.
The Home Run derby is, at turns, fascinating and boring. On the one hand, there is much standing around and useless broadcast banter. On the other, you get to see the players just hanging out with each other and their kids. Genuinely palling around and having fun. (See Miguel Tejada and Manny Ramirez...) And you get to see the contrasts... players like Ken Griffey, Barry Bonds, Andruw Jones -- supremely gifted athletes, with perfectly beautiful swings, hitting lengthy blasts seemingly with effortless grace.
And then, there’s David Ortiz, and hitters of his ilk. Think back to Gorman Thomas and the like. Ortiz hits blast after blast, and is, all around, a fine batter. And I’m sure, a gifted athlete in his own right. And yet, it seems as though he is likely to fall over on every other swing. There’s something really entertaining about watching David Ortiz crush a flyball.
Hitters tend to have distinctive styles. Sammy Sosa’s little hop. Mark McGwire tossing away his bat like a used toothpick. Griffey’s smoothness as he’s half into a lope to first when the ball takes flight. Barry Bond’s pose and Reggie Jackson’s arrogant exit from the batter’s box.
And then, there’s David Ortiz. Ortiz doesn’t have that sort of grace. He rotates out of a swing and staggers to a stop. As though he might just lose balance or fall over on every swing. Obviously, it works for him, but the mechanics can’t possibly be right. He’s just a talented, powerful dude – who probably had to do a ton of work to avoid looking foolish. Though again, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any hitter look more foolish missing pitches than I remember Reggie Jackson looking. (John Kruk vs. Randy Johnson excepted)
I'm going to be playing softball today for the office team in a local league. I think, during BP, we'll be playing Batter Stance Charades again. My Julio Franco is pretty awesome.
Oh, and on the baseball cap vein…
As I have previously noted in other journals, I seem to have quite a collection of fitted baseball caps. Collection, being an inaccurate term. Collectors tend to take fine care of their prizes. I wear my hats. I wear ‘em a lot, and not a small number have gotten quite nasty. I’ve got multiples of the same hat – as replacements for ones that got skunky/salty, or of different sizes because of hair size variation. I’ve got multiple styles and colors for the same team.
I’ve been wearing ball caps on a pretty regular basis since I was sixteen. They shade the head. Hide the face in the back of class. Are a useful place to dump keys and wallets while staying in a hotel… They make hair care infinitely simpler. They cause premature thinning of the hair. And, for a conservative dresser such as myself, provide a somewhat distinctive way to accessorize.
Now, I also have winter hats, floppy fishing hats, and a fedora, but it’s the fun baseball caps. And so, (excepting random corporate and painter’s caps that don’t really count) I present the “Hatventory” of fitted ball caps:
Atlanta Braves
Arizona Diamondbacks 1994
Baltimore Orioles (Home)
Boston Red Sox 1975
Brooklyn Dodgers, 1912 (Home)
Brooklyn Dodgers, 1955
California Angels, 1995
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds 1961 (Home)
Denver Broncos
Florida Marlins 1993 (Home)
Midland Texas Highschool
Oakland Athletics
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1971
Pheonix Suns
Seattle Mariners, 1993 (Home)
Sherwood High School
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1994 (Home)
Tazmanian Devil
University of Maryland (Block M)
University of Maryland (Flag)
University of Maryland (Red)
University of Maryland (Testudo)
University of Michigan
University of Michigan Athletic Stretch
University of Texas
USS Russell DDG 59 Destroyer
Washington Nationals 2005 (Home)
Washington Nationals 2005 (Road)
Washington Redskins (Logo)
Washington Redskins (R)
Washington Senators, 1926 (Home)