Buttermaker: “You’re putting the tying run on first base, you imbecile!” Turner: “Couldn’t even manage a food store, he’s managing a baseball team.” — The Bad News Bears * * * If you have spend much time here at the Ol’ JoeBlogs, you might know that we’re not too crazy about the intentional walk. There…
Month: July 2017
Playing The Game
My buddy Doug Glanville has a piece up over at the New York Times that is partly about ESPN announcer Jessica Mendoza, but mostly is about women covering baseball, either as announcers or, in the case of Spink Award winner Claire Smith, as a writer. The story is about sexism, plain and simple, but there is…
A Brief Hall Tour
When people think about the Baseball Hall of Fame, they mostly think about the plaque room — the huge room that celebrates the players, managers, executives, umpires and pioneers were inducted into the Hall. It’s a cool room, no question, but in many ways it’s my least favorite part of the place. My FAVORITE parts of…
The King’s Spieth
Reporter: You haven’t missed a cut here in 25 years.” Jack Nicklaus: “Really? We’re talking about missed cuts now?” — Exchange before the 1992 Masters * * * Yes, we’re talking missed cuts now because there’s a point to be made, a point about the sheer awesomeness of Jordan Spieth, the singular golfer of the…
50 things that make me happy
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups There is no order to this list, no purpose beyond fulfilling a promise to a friend. “The Internet is so negative,” she says. “I go on there every day and see rage, I see racism, I see sexism, I see anger at the world. Even the jokes are cynical and…
You Lt. Weinberg?
In my continuing obsession with the movie “A Few Good Men, I have another odd thought to add. We watched the movie as a family the other day, first time for the girls, and other than having to stop the movie about 394 times to explain the various plot twists to my daughters (“So, wait, which…
Dads, Daughters and Transformers
Dad: There will be spoilers, of course, because life is filled with spoilers, life and Transformers. Children grow up, they begin their own lives, Optimus Prime becomes Nemesis Prime becomes Optimus Prime. Whatever, the confusion overwhelms you. Knowing what is to come does not deter the bewilderment. Elizabeth is almost 16 now, and she insists…