SB Nation User Blog: Ross

Stand up, stretch and sing Happy Birthday

Ross — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:27 -0000

Today is the 130th birthday of Jack Norworth.You've probably never heard of him.

The man never played a game, maybe never ever saw a game, but he has had as indelible in impact on the game of baseball today as almost anyone.

Still don't know who he is? Here's the explanation from Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac.

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/

And it's the birthday of Jack Norworth, (books by this author) born in Philadelphia in 1879. Jack Norworth had never been to a baseball game, but one day in 1908, he was riding the subway and he saw a sign that said "Baseball Today — Polo Grounds," and he started thinking of baseball lyrics. He wrote them down on a piece of scratch paper, and then took them to the composer Albert Von Tilzer, another man who had never seen a baseball game, who went ahead and wrote the music. And the song became very famous: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Norworth also wrote "Shine on Harvest Moon". But TMOTTBG was his biggest hit, one of the top songs of 1908. Legend has it that it is the third most-often-played song in the country, after the National Anthem and Happy Birthday.

So here's to you, Mr. Norworth. Baseball wouldn't have been quite as fun without you.

All That Way for This - a 2008 Retrospective

Ross — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:48:58 -0000

All That Way for This - a 2008 Retrospective

Over the last year or so, a few people have asked about the sig line I adopted after last year's playoffs. With '08 in the books, it still seems apropos. So as the Cubs sank slowly in the west, I put together this video. It's not a slam, nor is it a pollyanna salute. It is how I feel.

A little reminder

Ross — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:59:17 -0000

I found a link to this post on Seth Godin's blog. It might be worth remembering tonight and over the next few days.

Remember, this is supposed to be fun. It is not life or death. If it is, I would suggest you have some seriously skewed priorties.

http://blogs.squidoo.com/squidblog/?p=276

And remind yourself:

People online are real people.

If you send a nasty email, there’s a real human being on the other end who gets it.
If you flame in a forum, you’re wasting real people’s time.
If you spam someone, you’re really only making yourself look bad.
If you write IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS it sounds like shouting.
If you want something to happen your way, try asking instead of demanding.
If you give, you’ll probably wind up getting, too.
If you blog just to pick fights, don’t be surprised when people don’t trust you.
If you collaborate, say thanks.
If you’re independent, say no thanks.
If you like someone, tell them.
If you don’t, walk away from the computer.
If you’re giving feedback, lead with just one good thing.
If you’re getting feedback, realize that the person must care a lot to have sent it.
If you goof, apologize.
If you apologize, mean it.
If you smile, mean that too.
If you don’t like something, don’t do it.
If you do like something, spread it.

But far far more important:

Give people a break.
The break you probably deserve yourself.
People are out to do good, 99% of the time.
You probably are too.
Say thanks out loud and a lot.
Try making someone’s day.
Chances are they’ll make yours in return.

Posted September 30th, 2008 by Megan Casey

LA Games Tickets

Ross — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:21:42 -0000

For all of us West Coast BCB'ers, I thought I would create a post for people looking for tickets or who have extra tickets for the games in Los Angeles. It's always more fun to sit together , rather than being interspersed throughout the stands. Plus, there is safety in numbers. :)

Remember the house rules... face value only for ticket sales.

Right now, there are single seats available through the MLB site. If past history is any indication, chances are they will release additional tickets as the week goes on. Getting them is just a matter of good timing.

Al, if this is inappropriate, my apologies.

Howry Rant (now with statistics)

Ross — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:34:27 -0000

Lou Pinella knows more than I do about baseball. That said, I just don't get it about Howry's inclusion on the post season roster. Even more irritating is this quote from the paper...

"I need Bob to pitch well," Piniella said. "I had a nice little meeting and told him we need him to get nice and sharp and pitch well for us."

Oh! You had a meeting! Well, heck, that must solve everything. Perhaps Howry didn't realize that he needed to pitch well earlier in this season? This is just an asinine statement. Unless the meeting was to discuss overcoming the tipping of pitches, or remind him not to groove 0-2 fastballs, "a meeting" it isn't going to make a bit of difference.

Baseball is stats driven, so here are the stats, courtesy of the MLB Web site.
Opponents are hitting .308 against him.
They are hitting .354 leading off the inning.
In the last two months, he has made 19 appearances. He has allowed a baserunner in 15 of those 19 appearances. Four times has he been able to retire the side in order. FOUR TIMES.
Since the All-Star break, his ERA with runners in scoring position is 16.43. That is 14 earned runs in 7.2 innings.
He has a 6.46 ERA overall since the All-Star break.
The Dodgers are hitting .308 against him this season, the Mets are hitting .300.

I just don't get it. Let's hope there was some magic in that meeting.

Online interviews of Cubs and others

Ross — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:30:56 -0000

Online interviews of Cubs and others

A friend of mine out here in LA has a radio show where he interviews big leaguers, then plays snippets of the interviews. He has several Cubs interviews, though most are a year or two old. (He told me he tried to interview Theriot when the Cubs were out here, but that "he wasn't into it.") Anyway, I thought you guys might enjoy listening to some of these. His main page is http://www.insidebaseball.net.

Off day post: A Cheer for Scott McClain

Ross — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:52:40 -0000

While we kvetch about the Cubs stumble, I wanted to post something that brought a smile to my face today.

In a footnote to a dog-days of the season game between the Giants and the Rockies, former Cubs minor league Scott McClain hit his first big league homer. It came in his 19th season in baseball.

I don't know about you guys, but seeing a guy like that get his first homer is pretty cool. You can just feel how much it means to him to have done it, the hours of work that he has put in. It's a footnote to history, but a milestone for him.

McClain is 36, and his call up is clearly a reward for time well served in the minors. But still, as a baseball fan, I want to give a cheer for Scott McClain, who didn't give up on his dream.

Off-Day Topic - "Flu Like" Symptoms

Ross — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:22:05 -0000

A lot of people discussed Tim Lincecum's bout with "flu-like" symptoms on Tuesday. While I know a lot of us have known what this code word usually means, it occurred to me that this is one of the first times that it might have been brought to a national level of consciousness.

I haven't seen a study, but with greenies having been outlawed, you have to think the incidents of FLS have gone up in the last couple of years. I would love to know when the dreaded FLS first became a euphemism for being really, really, really hung over after two straight nights of partying. (Probably back in the Babe Ruth or Hack Wilson eras. Maybe even earlier than that.).

It made me think back to my last bout with FLS. It was after a buddy's wedding in Santa Barbara, with an open bar at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club and a bartender who was ridiculously generous in his pours. My wife got us back to our friends house that night, and the next morning I felt like death. Didn't feel right until the following day, wasting an whole day in beautiful Santa Barbara.

The other time I was an indirect victim of FLS was when we gave another couple a ride back to our hotel after another friends wedding, also in Santa Barbara. This case of FLS was of the sudden-onset variety, as she "Lincecum-ed" out the window graced the outside of my car with recycled red wine. At least it was on the outside. Kind of messed up her sterling white pant suit, though. To this day, I have no idea how she got the window open in time.

So, in honor of Tim Lincecum, what is your best story about FLS? As this is a family blog, please use as many double entendres as possible.

Jerome Williams Sighting

Ross — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:45:26 -0000

Former Cub Jerome Williams is back in affiliated baseball, sort of. He was signed by the Dodgers off of the Long Beach Armada staff and is currently on the DL with "tightness in his neck and shoulder" for Single A Inland Empire.

He has pitched one game, allowing a run in three innings of work.

He is still listed on the Armada site, where apparently you are not allowed to wear your hat correctly: http://www.goldenbaseball.com/LongBeach/PlayersBio.aspx?PlayerID=1489&SecID=395

The 66ers site is here: http://ie66ers.com/

Switch hitter vs. Switch Pitcher

Ross — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:29:10 -0000

An interesting scenario came up in a game between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones, a switch hitter vs. a switch pitcher. Two videos, including the entire scenario from the live broadcast available at this link.

EDIT - While I have seen articles that say a pitcher must declare which arm he is going to throw with, there isn't anything I can find in a cursory read through the MLB rule book. Looks like it will have to be formally addressed. There is a rule that says a hitter can't change the box side once the pitcher is ready to pitch, that is, on the rubber.

http://www.bugsandcranks.com/the-clubhouse/switch-hitter-vs-switch-pitcher/