“I got it! I got it!”

broderic on July 13, 2009

The first half of baseball season is done, and the wretched Orioles have completed it with a 40-48 record. I’m hoping for slightly better after the All Star break, at least 43 wins. Yet, that doesn’t sound so good, but if you know the Orioles, you know that they traditionally fade in the second half. Wait, fade is too nice of a word. They disappear. They get losing streaks that are absolutely crazy: 12 games, 10 games. For them to win 43 games and finish with a 83-93 record would be progress. One step, one season at a time.

But that’s something to look forward. The ultimate optimism of a fan of a terrible team.

Let’s look back. We’ve gone to 8 games (7 home, 1 away), and we’re 4-4. In fact, we caught the first two games of this past weekend. I haven’t been to back to back games since I was a kid: 1982 and the chase for the AL East title versus the Milwaukee Brewers. Friday’s was a loss. The O’s got no runs.

And it was sad, but we got fireworks!

And I got to talk to the ballgirl. She tells me they have to try out for the position. Cool. I don’t think I get to ask her about her health benefits. Those screaming line drives could hurt!

We had so much fun, we decide to go back for Saturday’s game. We make a day of it, by stopping by the Sports Legends Museum. Cool, but I just like the baseball part. Then the Babe Ruth Museum. Strange to be in Baltimore and see NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox to be feted. I couldn’t wait to get out of there quick.

Then we finally get to the park. I get the tickets in right field. Just where I really always want to sit. We watch Nick Markakis dawdle out the game. Nothing coming his way. We’re bored. Before the game, the gentleman two rows back talks to his son who was excited. His son wants to catch a foul. “Not if I don’t jump in his way,” I blurt out. The man wasn’t amused. A family sits right down behind us. During Aubrey Huffs first at bat, he taps me on the shoulder and says, “Watch out, Huff pulls lots of balls down this way.” Ooo. The fourth inning arrives and there is a ball hit our way. It’s coming, fading slightly to my left, three seats over across the aisle. A guy in a Pujols jersey is gonna get lucky. It hits him in the palm, pops out, he tries to snag it, bobbles it, and watches as his neighbor gets it. Too bad! “Sorry, man.” Buy that guy a beer.

Seventh inning. The next foul ball.

It’s hit right at me. I know. It is hit RIGHT AT ME! I stand up! Now, I’m not really good at fly balls, but this one I know: IT IS HIT RIGHT AT ME! I’m tracking it. It’s all mine! I reach to catch it. *POCK!* It’s hit my palm. I don’t got it. I look it to see where it is. It’s in some other guys hands as he picks it up off the floor. In all my years no foul ball has ever been as prettily hit towards me as that one. And I fucking drop it. My palm stings. Even more so because the ball is not in my possession. The dude in the Pujols jersey consoles me, “I know how you feel.” I’m still thinking about it.

But the MelMo comes through with a walk off homerun. What a game! This one and baseball. I can’t wait for the next half.

Baseball bat bags

broderic on July 12, 2009

I want a cool baseball bat bag from Japan. They look like you’re carrying your sword in it.

Why does the American ones look like your suitcase? Are you going on a trip? Or are you arming yourself for war? War! Baseball is war!

The Wisdom of the Earl of Baltimore

broderic on July 10, 2009

I finished Moneyball this past weekend (review coming soon), and in it, was a reference to great Oriole coach, Earl Weaver. His coaching philosophy was the progenitor to the whole Moneyball/OBP theory of baseball: the 27 outs allotted to your team are precious, preserve them as best you can.

The Earl was famously quoted, “Pitching, defense, and the three run homerun,” as keys to winning. Damn straight! He won a lot of games while he was the manager. The Orioles haven’t since.

Here’s a great SI article, A MIND FOR THE GAME Before laptops, spreadsheets and – 07.13.09 – SI Vault with an interview of the Earl.

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Yeah, this will is getting boring quick

broderic on July 9, 2009

Dear Kami-sama,

Get us out of this infinite loop! Help!

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PS. We’re into the fourth week of this story arc. I loved it the first to times. The third time last week. Not so much. It’s gonna repeat again? Yikes! Haruhi-sama, please stop! Kyon-kun’s gonna agree to go out on a date with you. I’ll do the same, if you’ll just make it stop!

The god of thunder takes the win

broderic on July 9, 2009

Thor Hushovd of Cervelo Test Team wins a rain soaked sixth stage. Is this a tour or what? And is the the Tour de France or Espagne? Or Cataluna? They went from Girona to Barcelona neither of which is in France.

David Millar of Garmin-Slipstream tried to repeat the breakaway success like yesterday, but gets swept up in the last kilometer. It’s cruel, but that’s the chance you take. Millar is someone to root for as he was once suspended for doping infractions, but has been riding clean with the Slipstream team. He almost had it today, but the sprinters’ teams are not going let another stage slip away.

Back to Thor. He’s a monster of a rider, bigger and bulkier than any in the peloton. He is a former winner of the Green Jersey (sprinter’s jersey). So he’s got speed. And yet, he can’t win against Columbia-HTC’s Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish. But today was the day. This stage finished up a hill, which, because of his power meant that it was a good finish for Thor. And it was!

I’m liking that this blog is turning out to be a sports blog! One day O’s another day Le Tour. The O’s suck, and Le Tour is only in July, so bear with me for the next couple of weeks.

I’ve been tivoing Le Tour to watch the live stuff rather than watching it at night. I like the Brits rather than the Americans doing the play-by-play although Phil Liggett is starting to get senile. Yesterday, my tivo didn’t record the post stage awards. I missed the podium girls! I like the podium girls! Bring me the podium girls! I especially like the navy-white for the stage winner. Mmm. The polka-dots are cool too. Yellow, not so much.

The Legend of Tommy Voeckler

broderic on July 9, 2009

The most lucky of French cyclists (or unlucky if you see him go on a breakaway), Thomas Voeckler wins his first stage of Le Tour. Not of this years version, but of the several he’s participated in. Of course, he’s a former yellow jersey winner holding off Lance Armstrong for 10 days in 2004.

Way to go Tommy! Chapeau!

As you can see, he won the heart of all of France in 2004 in fighting to keep the yellow on the climb up the Plat de baile. He’s also one of my favorites, because of this charge and you can always count on him to go out a try and win a stage. Finally, he’s won one.

Rooting against Armstrong

broderic on July 7, 2009

Today’s the Team Time Trial in Le Tour 2009. You and your mates against the clock. Which team’s the fastest around town? Astana with their multi-headed captains seems to be the favorite. They’ve got Armstrong, Contador, and Leipheimer. They are the NY Yankees of the sport.

I’m hoping they lose today. Not gonna happen.

Weird to be rooting against Armstrong, but it happens. Allez other teams! Allez!

The Proposal

broderic on July 7, 2009

The Proposal stars Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy neither romantic or comedic. He’s assistant to her hard charging NYC book editor. She’s a ballbuster. He’s doing it for the chance to break into the literary world. She’s doing it because she has no family. They need to marry, so that she isn’t deported. Ha. Ha. Ha.

That’s a tired cliche of a gag if I ever saw one.

And the movie is tired. I didn’t really laugh. The romance was a given and hard to believe. Ryan Reynolds is not given enough to do as a “Ryan Reynolds” roll. No smart mouthing or glib commenting. Just stand there and let Sandra Bullock be the movie’s driving force. She couldn’t be, or at least I couldn’t accept her as it. Come on, it’s Ryan Reynolds you want to see not Sandra Bullock. And I’m a guy. I wonder what the girls who’ve seen it think.

I’m all for tsundere goodness, but Sandra Bullock could not capture it. She’s mean, but you couldn’t have told me she had a caring side. Only the writers could do that, and they shoe horned it in to fit the happy ending.

Blech.

2 of 5 stars.