SB Nation User Blog: Mike Vails Evil Twin

There are worse ways to lose

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:10:39 -0000

As a Cubs fan for close to half a century who’s running out of “next years,” naturally I was hoping for them to crush the Dodgers as a prelude to eventually winning the World Series. However, if they're going to lose a series, I would much rather see them lose by being blown out right from the start, thereby removing any doubt about their chances early on, than have them suffer a heartbreaking collapse after seeming to have it all wrapped up the way the 1984 and 2003 teams did. If you feel crushed and bitter after this series, just imagine how much worse you would have felt if they had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at the last minute by coughing up a four run lead in the ninth inning of Game 5, or as the result of some sort of fluke, or a blown call, or a devastating error on a routine play. From an emotional standpoint, I'll take the blowout any time. Sure, their dreadful, lackluster play in this series was disappointing and even pitiful, but there is at least some small consolation in knowing it could have been a whole lot worse.

A little OT - Bernie the Brewer

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:27:07 -0000

Extreme forms of political correctness really bug me, and a prime example of this is what happened to Bernie the Brewer over the last few years. Originally, when a Brewers player hit a home run, Bernie slid down a chute into a big mug of beer, or something that looked like beer. I always thought that was a fun and clever departure from the usual mascot antics, and was certainly appropriate given Milwaukee's fame as the beer capital of the U.S. So, I was disappointed when they replaced the beer in Bernie's mug with balloons several years ago. It didn't have the same visual appeal, and struck me as an attempt to create a "kid friendly" atmosphere at the ballpark that went a little too far. Apparently, though, that wasn't tame enough, so they ultimately did away with Bernie's mug altogether and now he just slides down onto a catwalk, which makes very little sense and just looks silly.

I don't know why the Brewers changed Bernie's routine, but I suspect they were pressured to do it by the hysterical busybody types who are determined to sanitize all aspects of society to protect the kiddies from unsavory influences. What's ironic is that they took away Bernie's beer in a ballpark that's named for a beer company and where the majority of adults in the stands drink beer while watching a team named for the people who make it. Something's very wrong with that picture, and I think they should give back Bernie's beer. Where's the harm in that?

Trivia question

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:54:55 -0000

During one of the games in Philadelphia, Len and Bob were talking about how the Phillies had moved the outfield wall in a couple of places. That made me wonder which team was the first to post the distance from the plate on the walls and what its reason for doing so was. It's one of those things you just take for granted and I'd never thought of it before. can't recall ever reading about it or hearing it discussed. Does anyone know the answer? Thanks!

Did anyone else notice?

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:40:44 -0000

I was very impressed by the way Geovany Soto put his head down and ran as hard as he could after hitting his homer the other night against the Mets, even though he had to have had a pretty good idea that the ball was going out. Quite a refreshing contrast to the guys who stand and admire balls that just make it to the wall or barely clear it. Sure, there's no doubt about some homers and I can't fault a guy for admiring a 500 foot bomb, but if there's any doubt at all just start running. Period. If the ball does indeed go out, watch it on video in the clubhouse after the game. I'm not naming names, but there are a couple of veterans, including one who's one of my favorite Cubs players of recent years, (hey, nobody's perfect, but it still bugs me) who obviously could learn from Geo's example.

Diamond Gems

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:36:22 -0000

Has anyone else heard Diamond Gems? It's a syndicated radio show that features vintage--mostly from the sixties--baseball broadcasts. It's great stuff from a historical standpoint, and most of the shows feature bits from Cubs games with Jack Brickhouse, Vince Lloyd, and Lou Boudreau. In the past, it also aired little biographical segments on the broadcasters, which were very interesting. In their day, Vince Lloyd and Jack Brickhouse were probably the hardest working guys in the business (and both deserve Wrigley Field statues more than Harry Carey, IMHO).

This year, Diamond Gems has also added a segment by Doug Glanville, but I haven't heard that yet. If anyone's interested, the URL is listed below, although I couldn't get some of the links, including the list of stations that carry it, to work (possibly a browser issue). I don't know if it's aired at the same time by all the stations that carry it, but I hear it at ten o'clock Sunday mornings on an eastern Iowa station.

http://diamondgemsbaseball.com/

Forgotten College of Coaches Faculty Member

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:10:46 -0000

Very few Cubs fans remember him today, but Derwood "Woody" Noggin was part of the infamous College of Coaches for a brief time in 1961. A popular Vaudeville entertainer for many years, Noggin was famous for his wisecracking humor, but had virtually no baseball experience. He was purportedly hired for the sole purpose of improving clubhouse morale during what promised to be an utterly abysmal season.

However, like the College of Coaches, Noggin's tenure with the Cubs was a complete failure. The players, who were interested only in keeping their jobs and what little professional dignity they had left, were in no mood for his jokes and madcap antics. To make matters worse, he was widely suspected of being nothing more than a mouthpiece for the front office. Unwilling to trust him, the players shunned him and often locked him in his own suitcase during games.

Noggin mysteriously disappeared just a few weeks into the season and was never seen again. According to sources who claim to be reliable, he was last seen in the company of Yosh Kawano, who supposedly was going to show him a new woodchipper that had been purchased for the grounds crew. Yosh vehemently denies this, however, and since the story cannot be confirmed, Noggin's ultimate fate may never be known.

Was it just residual dementia from Saturday's tequila binge?

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:52:44 -0000

Or did Ryan Dempster look pretty sharp yesterday? I don't know if it's the little glove flip he developed, or if he's learned how to breathe through his vestigial lizard eye, or what, but his delivery seems to be a lot crisper than I've ever seen it. I've been less than enthused about seeing him in the rotation, but yesterday offered at least a glimmer of hope. Does anyone agree, or was I just looking at him through agave goggles?

Are Cubs fans honoring the wrong people?

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:35:26 -0000

I've been a Cubs fan since I first became aware of the world in the very early sixties. As a youngster, I was crushed, along with every other fan, when the '69 team collapsed. As a young adult, I thrilled to the exploits of the great '84 team (which I'm watching clinch the division again as I type this) and was devastated by its stunning defeat in the play-offs. The play-off losses in '89 and '98 were disappointing, but they weren't entirely unexpected, while the debacle of 2003 is still too painful to mention.

With that in mind, it occurred to me a couple of years ago that perhaps the reason for the Cubs' lack of success is due to the fact that we've been honoring the wrong players. I grew up idolizing Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, Fergie, and Ron Santo, and in the eighties counted Ryno, Leon Durham, Rick Sutcliffe, and Lee Smith among my favorite players. Since those are the players many of us actually saw play, it's only natural that we pay them the respect they deserve as great players. However, the one thing all of them have in common is that they never got to the World Series.

That's why I wonder if we've been taking the wrong approach for the last forty years. Instead of paying so much tribute to the stars of our generations, maybe we should really be honoring the 1908 team for being the last Cubs team to be World Champions. Now, I'm not saying we should love the stars of our lifetimes any less, but maybe the key to changing the Cubs' fortunes is to place greater emphasis on the accomplishments of players such as Frank Chance, Mordecai Brown, Joe Tinker, and Johnny Evers and commemorate their accomplishments with banners on the flagpoles and special promotional days. I know it's hard for the vast majority of us to relate to them since they didn't play in our lifetimes, but the important thing is that they were the last Cubs team to win it all. Maybe if we honored them as much or more than our sentimental favorites, we might be able to conjure up some of their winning mojo. Since nothing else has worked for a long, long time, there would be nothing to lose by giving it a shot. At least it's a straw we haven't tried grasping yet.

The lifestyle factor

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:41:16 -0000

Like the fabled House of the Rising Sun, Rush Street has been known to be the "ruin of many a poor boy," including a number of past members of the Chicago Cubs who found that partying until the wee hours wasn't conducive to playing day baseball. In recent years, however, it seems like that hasn't been the issue it was in the seventies and eighties so I've been wondering how much emphasis Cubs management places on a player's lifestyle when deciding whether to acquire him. When they don't go after a player who, on the surface, would seem to be a great addition to the team, I wonder if it's simply because they know he has trouble getting up before noon. It's not necessarily a character issue, because someone who likes to party can still be a great person and teammate, but there are definitely practical considerations unique to the Cubs. Does anyone have any info on this?

Commissioner Bud gets "picky" at Congressional hearing

Mike Vails Evil Twin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:41:14 -0000

I just ran across these pictures of Commissioner Bud getting down to business (so to speak) at the Congressional hearings and thought they were worth sharing. I was never particularly interested in shaking his hand before, and now I never ever want to be in a position where I have to. For Bud's sake, he better hope George Mitchell never sees these.

http://www.examiner.com/blogs/Yeas_and_Nays/2008/1/16/Bud-goes-to-work