As I write this I am sitting out on the back patio barbecuing chicken and drinking a Founder's Centennial IPA. The IPA is very drinkable. (Someone should teach Anheuser-Busch what drinkability really is).
To top it off I am watching the Dodgers and the Mariners on satellite (you know I am a huge baseball fan) and blogging on my laptop. Indeed life is good!
June 28, 2009
Interleague Play Wraps Up
Bud Selig and his idiot advisers, who "manage" Major League Baseball have subjected another season of Inter-League play on the fans of Major League Baseball. Thank God, it's over for this year. And if Bud and the boys have a brain they won't bring it back.
The problem is the scheduling is uneven. So someone who plays a bunch of sub .500 clubs has an unfair advantage. The other problem I have, is why as a St. Louis fan should I have to watch the Kansas City Royals six times a season. That's the same number of times I get to see the Los Angeles Dodgers or Philadelphia Phillies. Please Bud, let me see the good teams in the same league where the Cardinals play a little more often than the bad teams in the American League Central Division.
The problem is the scheduling is uneven. So someone who plays a bunch of sub .500 clubs has an unfair advantage. The other problem I have, is why as a St. Louis fan should I have to watch the Kansas City Royals six times a season. That's the same number of times I get to see the Los Angeles Dodgers or Philadelphia Phillies. Please Bud, let me see the good teams in the same league where the Cardinals play a little more often than the bad teams in the American League Central Division.
Strange Week for Broadcast Journalists
It's been a much busier week for me than most so I am just now getting a chance to post. But, I found it interesting that the three broadcast networks chose to run the deaths of a couple of pop culture icons ahead of the revolution in Iran.
ABC, CBS and NBC all chose to play the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson above the huge story in Iran ahead of the revolution in Iran. People in Iran are literally dieing in their effort to be free and depending on the West to tell their story.
But, the big three networks chose to carry the deaths of an alleged pedophile and a second rate actress above that story. It makes you wonder who the children at the networks are who are making these decisions.
ABC, CBS and NBC all chose to play the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson above the huge story in Iran ahead of the revolution in Iran. People in Iran are literally dieing in their effort to be free and depending on the West to tell their story.
But, the big three networks chose to carry the deaths of an alleged pedophile and a second rate actress above that story. It makes you wonder who the children at the networks are who are making these decisions.
June 23, 2009
MLB Network Hosts Make a Joke of Physics
While watching the talking heads on the "MLB Network" this evening, the group started a discussion of what exactly an Isotope is. (Look at the post below this one to understand why the topic came up). None of them had a clue so they decided to make a joke of it. At one point the joke turned an Isotope into a well known brand of hand glove.
Granted it's only baseball we're talking about, but any one who took a high school science course should know what an Isotope is. Apparently, the host and two so called "experts" failed their high school science courses.
Granted it's only baseball we're talking about, but any one who took a high school science course should know what an Isotope is. Apparently, the host and two so called "experts" failed their high school science courses.
Major League Baseball Screws Up...Again
For some reason the "MLB Network" has decided to show each bat of Manny Ramirez as he prepares to come back from his 50 game suspension for the illegal use of steroids. When Manny was suspended Major League Baseball attempted to send a message to the world that steroids just won't be tolerated. And for the last five weeks we haven't had to hear anything from or about the cheater.
But, now the satellite channel is almost giddy in it's coverage of Ramirez as he plays for the Albuquerque Isotopes. What kind of message does this send? Well for starters it makes a mockery of professional baseball's steroid and drug policy. It also sends the message that baseball can't live without the cheater. By showing these at bats in rehab games MLB (which owns the MLB Network) is talking out of both sides of it's mouth. If baseball were really serious it would ban Ramirez from minor league rehab games until the full 50 game suspension has been served.
Ultimately the responsibility for this goes back to commissioner Bud Selig. As I've written previously a monkey flipping a coin would make more good decisions than Selig and his misinformed cronies.
But, now the satellite channel is almost giddy in it's coverage of Ramirez as he plays for the Albuquerque Isotopes. What kind of message does this send? Well for starters it makes a mockery of professional baseball's steroid and drug policy. It also sends the message that baseball can't live without the cheater. By showing these at bats in rehab games MLB (which owns the MLB Network) is talking out of both sides of it's mouth. If baseball were really serious it would ban Ramirez from minor league rehab games until the full 50 game suspension has been served.
Ultimately the responsibility for this goes back to commissioner Bud Selig. As I've written previously a monkey flipping a coin would make more good decisions than Selig and his misinformed cronies.
June 21, 2009
I Couldn't Have Said it Better
Albert Pujols went ballistic this afternoon in his hometown. He single handedly destroyed the Kansas City Royals with six RBIs and two home runs including a grand slam. John Marshall filed this game story for the Associated Press:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Albert Pujols comes through Kansas City once a season. The Royals wouldn’t be too disappointed if he never came back.
Pujols finished off a three-day romp in Kansas City with two homers and six RBIs, helping the St. Louis Cardinals rout the Royals 12-5 Sunday in win No. 2,500 for manager Tony La Russa. “He’s the best hitter in the game,” Royals starter Gil Meche said.
Pujols made a mockery of Kansas City pitching in his return to the town where he went to high school, hitting three homers and driving in 10 runs in the Cardinals’ three-game sweep over their cross-state rivals.
The two-time NL MVP had four hits Sunday and delivered the decisive blow in the Cardinals’ eight-run fourth inning, pounding his club record-tying third grand slam of the season off a window on the Royals Hall of Fame in left. He also had a run-scoring single in the first and added his major league-leading 26th homer—eighth in 10 games—in the fifth to put the Cardinals up 12-4.
“It’s nothing special. I’m just seeing good pitches and hitting them,” said Pujols, who has 12 homers in 27 career games at Kauffman Stadium.
Pujols tied Stan Musial’s team record of nine career grand slams and matched the season mark of three shared by Jim Bottomley (1925), Keith Hernandez (1977) and Fernando Tatis (1999). His fifth multi homer game this season—28th career— helped La Russa join Connie Mack (3,831) and John McGraw (2,763) as the only managers with 2,500 career victories.
“He does it over and over again and it’s impossible to describe how great he is,” said La Russa, who has 1,180 wins in 14 seasons with St. Louis. “Albert’s amazing.”
Pujols wasn’t the only one hitting on this day. Khalil Greene, feeling good after missing 19 games with social anxiety disorder, homered for the third straight game, but had to leave in the fourth inning after being hit on the right knee by a pitch. The Cardinals roughed up Meche (4-6) early and finished with 13 hits for their eighth win in 11 games.
The outburst made a winner of Adam Wainwright (8-4) even though he gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings. It wasn’t much of a surprise. The Cardinals have scored 36 runs in the right-hander’s past three starts and average an NL-best 6.85 per game when he’s on the mound.
“Early on, he just didn’t have enough bite on his pitches,” La Russa said. “But he’s got great guts and he hung in there.” Meche followed one of his best career performances with one of his worst. Coming off a 132-pitch four-hitter against Arizona that pushed his scoreless streak to 16 innings, the right-hander allowed a career-high nine runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings. It didn’t get any better after he left in the fourth inning, when the Cardinals sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs, including one on a bases-loaded walk and another on a wild pitch. Jose Guillen hit his eighth homer and drove in three for Kansas City, which has allowed 53 runs during a five-game losing streak.
“It wasn’t good at all,” said Meche, who allowed two homers after giving up two in his previous 84 1-3 innings. “Pretty much everything that could happen wrong today did. It’s been that way for us the last four or five games. It’s definitely tough coming into the clubhouse after every game when you play like that.”
NOTES: La Russa is 2,500-2,177 in 31 years as a big league manager with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland and St. Louis. … Royals CF Mitch Maier robbed Chris Duncan of extra bases with a leaping grab against the wall in the first inning. … The Royals topped the 30,000 mark in attendance for the 12th game this season after doing it just eight times last year. … The Cardinals swept the Royals in Kansas City for the third time in six years.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Albert Pujols comes through Kansas City once a season. The Royals wouldn’t be too disappointed if he never came back.
Pujols finished off a three-day romp in Kansas City with two homers and six RBIs, helping the St. Louis Cardinals rout the Royals 12-5 Sunday in win No. 2,500 for manager Tony La Russa. “He’s the best hitter in the game,” Royals starter Gil Meche said.
Pujols made a mockery of Kansas City pitching in his return to the town where he went to high school, hitting three homers and driving in 10 runs in the Cardinals’ three-game sweep over their cross-state rivals.
The two-time NL MVP had four hits Sunday and delivered the decisive blow in the Cardinals’ eight-run fourth inning, pounding his club record-tying third grand slam of the season off a window on the Royals Hall of Fame in left. He also had a run-scoring single in the first and added his major league-leading 26th homer—eighth in 10 games—in the fifth to put the Cardinals up 12-4.
“It’s nothing special. I’m just seeing good pitches and hitting them,” said Pujols, who has 12 homers in 27 career games at Kauffman Stadium.
Pujols tied Stan Musial’s team record of nine career grand slams and matched the season mark of three shared by Jim Bottomley (1925), Keith Hernandez (1977) and Fernando Tatis (1999). His fifth multi homer game this season—28th career— helped La Russa join Connie Mack (3,831) and John McGraw (2,763) as the only managers with 2,500 career victories.
“He does it over and over again and it’s impossible to describe how great he is,” said La Russa, who has 1,180 wins in 14 seasons with St. Louis. “Albert’s amazing.”
Pujols wasn’t the only one hitting on this day. Khalil Greene, feeling good after missing 19 games with social anxiety disorder, homered for the third straight game, but had to leave in the fourth inning after being hit on the right knee by a pitch. The Cardinals roughed up Meche (4-6) early and finished with 13 hits for their eighth win in 11 games.
The outburst made a winner of Adam Wainwright (8-4) even though he gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings. It wasn’t much of a surprise. The Cardinals have scored 36 runs in the right-hander’s past three starts and average an NL-best 6.85 per game when he’s on the mound.
“Early on, he just didn’t have enough bite on his pitches,” La Russa said. “But he’s got great guts and he hung in there.” Meche followed one of his best career performances with one of his worst. Coming off a 132-pitch four-hitter against Arizona that pushed his scoreless streak to 16 innings, the right-hander allowed a career-high nine runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings. It didn’t get any better after he left in the fourth inning, when the Cardinals sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs, including one on a bases-loaded walk and another on a wild pitch. Jose Guillen hit his eighth homer and drove in three for Kansas City, which has allowed 53 runs during a five-game losing streak.
“It wasn’t good at all,” said Meche, who allowed two homers after giving up two in his previous 84 1-3 innings. “Pretty much everything that could happen wrong today did. It’s been that way for us the last four or five games. It’s definitely tough coming into the clubhouse after every game when you play like that.”
NOTES: La Russa is 2,500-2,177 in 31 years as a big league manager with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland and St. Louis. … Royals CF Mitch Maier robbed Chris Duncan of extra bases with a leaping grab against the wall in the first inning. … The Royals topped the 30,000 mark in attendance for the 12th game this season after doing it just eight times last year. … The Cardinals swept the Royals in Kansas City for the third time in six years.
June 14, 2009
Analog TV Still Alive in St. Louis
According to federal regulation, analog broadcasting was supposed to have come to a screeching halt at 12:01 Friday morning. But, Gannett Corporation is continuing to broadcast the same crap it has for the past six months about the digital TV conversion. And not only as it did previously, but now in Spanish as well.
I have no idea what Gannett, which held the analog channel five in the TV broadcast spectrum, is thinking. The message is not subtle. Gannett continues to display it's sleazy logo on the analog band promoting itself as a "news channel".
Maybe the clowns at Gannett know they won't be earning as much money in the future as they had with their television stations. If you missed it earlier today, NPR ran a great story on over the air television as a temporary technology. You can hear it by clicking it here.
I have no idea what Gannett, which held the analog channel five in the TV broadcast spectrum, is thinking. The message is not subtle. Gannett continues to display it's sleazy logo on the analog band promoting itself as a "news channel".
Maybe the clowns at Gannett know they won't be earning as much money in the future as they had with their television stations. If you missed it earlier today, NPR ran a great story on over the air television as a temporary technology. You can hear it by clicking it here.
June 08, 2009
A Well Written Article from Texas
Maybe the St. Louis Post-Dispatch can learn something about solid journalism and writing from Mike Hindman. Hindman is a free lance author and has written a fascinating story of the behind the scenes work that went into Ian Kinsler's signing with the Texas Rangers earlier this decade. Who is Kinsler you ask? He is an All-star shortstop who's also an alum of the University of Missouri.
Writing in D Magazine, Hindman explains the work of a Rangers talent scout who discovered Kinsler playing in Columbia, Missouri. You may read the article by clicking here.
Writing in D Magazine, Hindman explains the work of a Rangers talent scout who discovered Kinsler playing in Columbia, Missouri. You may read the article by clicking here.
June 06, 2009
Random Thoughts on TV "News"
Now, two local TV stations have gone to embedding their logos in local "newscasts". Both KSDK and KMOV have their garbage on the screen non-stop except for when they are running commercials. I have stopped watching these moronic presentations because they are annoying and pretty much unwatchable. Add to this the crawls across the bottom of the screen warning of the impending change to digital and it's even worse. Thank God for Satellite TV. If you haven't seen this practice yet or it does not take place in your market consider yourself fortunate.
About 20 years ago I had a former journalism professor tell me to get out of broadcast and into print. As he put it then..."radio news is a dinosaur and TV news is a 'Gong Show". Man, did he have that right.
About 20 years ago I had a former journalism professor tell me to get out of broadcast and into print. As he put it then..."radio news is a dinosaur and TV news is a 'Gong Show". Man, did he have that right.
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