Update your linkbars, I'm moving to TypePad! Sorry Winer, your product just sucks too much.

You can now find my regular blog at: cortana.typepad.com/rta

You can now find my baseball blog at: cortana.typepad.com/baseball
10:16:38 PM  comment [ [Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "commentCount" hasn't been defined.] ]  #  

Today, Eric Byrnes did something absolutely amazing, he hit for the Cycle. For those that aren't sure what I'm talking about, it's baseball. Byrnes had a single, two doubles, a triple and a homer. Here is his line from today:

Eric Byrnes	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
	5	2	5	2	0	0	0	.336

Outstanding. He becomes the sixteenth Oakland Athletic to accomplish the feat. Well done Eric!
7:08:35 PM  comment [ [Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "commentCount" hasn't been defined.] ]  #  

Last night I took my Dad and Tiffany to Camden Yards in Baltimore for the O's/Brewers game that was to start about 7. Our seats were three rows back from the outfield wall in the left field corner, just inside the foul pole. We got there just as the game was beginning, I struggled to get all of the names in my scorecard, right as it began to rain. They'd finished one batter as the heavens were riven open and rain began to pour. The delay was over an hour and the three of us sat under the overhang, watching the Miracle on 33rd St. and the history of Memorial Stadium on the many tv's strung up under the balcony.

The rain was heavy, large thick drops plummeting from the sky, creating small rivers in the aisles, a series of tiny waterfalls on the steps. The rain would go from heavy to light back to heavy again, interspersed with the amplified kettle-drum of thunder and the flash of lighting in the city. They crowded all of us under the overhangs, creating a ring of unhappy baseball fans lying in wait for the storm's abatement.

After about an hour we got the all-clear and enjoyed a few more innings of baseball before the rain struck yet again sending us through the downpour back to the car, but we got to see some baseball, enjoy the atmosphere of the Yards, and have hotdogs and as my Dad said "A day at the ballpark, even when it's raining is better than a day almost anywhere else." He's right.

The roar of thunder against the warehouse and resounding through the stadium, the taste of soft grilled onions and hotdogs on your tongue, and the smell of peanuts and sizzling meat on the grills in center field, that is a wonderous thing. Happy Father's Day, Dad!
2:50:12 PM  comment [ [Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "commentCount" hasn't been defined.] ]  #  

When I awoke this morning, and read about Sammy Sosa corking his bat, I was disappointed. I was hurt. And I know that's not what Sammy meant to do, he was in a slump. You know the slump, when you go day after day after day without any success at work, or at home, or in the things you love. That feeling is dark-night-of-the-soul kind of stuff. The stuff that Preacher writes about every once in a while. It's somthing I think we all have dealt with in our lives.

However, Sammy seems to have done the wrong thing here. He cheated. He picked up a corked bat, and he went to the plate. Don't tell me he did it by accident, you can feel the ounce and a half difference in weight. Don't tell me why, just apologize, be forthright and we can get it on with our lives.

There will be those who condemn you for the steroids, and now some who do it for the corked bat. You've put a tarnish on your career. But you're still a damn fine player, and a good human being. I loved watching you and Mac punch it out in the summer of 1998. I loved that fall when you guys fought it out to be the home run king. There were several of us in Dr. Katz's PoliSci class that would be waiting on baited breath as we walked into class. "Did you hear? Sammy had another one!" or "Mac's picking up the pace!" That was a time in my life where I loved baseball more than anything else, and I loved you and Mac for making me care again.

So for that much, I will always have you to thank. Be the real deal, admit you were wrong and serve your suspension. Do any less and you'll damage the game further.
3:50:36 PM  comment [ [Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "commentCount" hasn't been defined.] ]  #  

Pittsburgh is truly beautiful town this time of year. I enjoyed it in March when the trees were just budding, but you have to come here when the foliage is in its full canopy. Downtown is gorgeous, spread full with trees a lot like Washington is, and green and multi-colored with flowers.

After we left the Strip yesterday, we drove around downtown, er, I mean, dahntahn, and parked the car over across from PNC Park by the Clemente Bridge. Abandoning our wheels, we walked over to PPG Plaza to see the Dinomite Days sculptures that were going to be spread across the downtown area over the next few days. We took many pictures and enjoyed the children playing in the ever-changing pattern of the water-spouts that surround the Tomb of the Unknown Bowler, which while I realize this is not the proper name for the obelisk that stands there, it's rather charming.

From there we wandered on down to the Point State Park where Fort Duquesne/Pitt stood for a good long while, walked its old outline, left in bricks amid the grassy meadow that is the Park. We walked down to the Fountain, which was shooting water some 50 feet into the air, misting the entire area and creating a picturesque Saturday afternoon. Had the sun cooperated a little more to burn off all the mid-level clouds, we would have been in better shape, but as it was I was pretty impressed.

It was at this point that we headed down toward PNC Park, along the banks of the Youghiogheny River and up to the bright yellow suspension bridge named for Roberto Clemente. The walk across the bridge reminds me much of the walk into the Coliseum from the BART station. You come across, seeing the barbeque smoke rise from Center Field, vendors set up along the bridge selling peanuts and t-shirts for cheaper than in the ballpark. We came in through the Center Field entrance, our bags searched and secured. We picked up a program and scorecard (a quality scorecard, I might add) with the lineups and rosters.

We were taken to our seats by the usher, section 127, Row R, seats 24-5. The view from the third base line is incredibly striking, the city unfolded before you, the Free Markets building, PPG Plaza and Fifth Street Plaza buildings dominating the skyline beyond the bridge. The Pirates got off to a rough start, Jeff Suppan getting hit for 6 runs in the first two innings, and the consistent double plays (3 in 3 innings) that their batters hit into. Morris was looking very good, his curve and his fastball were hitting most of the time. I suppose what surprised me about Suppan was the fact that he was pitching a lot of first-pitch strikes, but he wasn't following through, instead of striking on with good pitches, he'd pitch around them until it was 3-1. He gave up too many walks. He got behind too much and that's what killed him.

I can't be quite effusive enough about PNC Park. The scoreboard is incredibly good, very high resolution, crisp images. Statistics galore, scores galore, details. There's a pirate that walks you through the half-inning entertainment, including Uncle Peg Leg's Shell Game, which makes those silly crabs in DC look like a joke, and an opening animation that you might expect from the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean, set to O, Fortuna, which I rather enjoyed.

We came back today for the closing game of the series against the Cardinals, enjoying the sunshine on a Sunday afternoon. Sitting in the bleachers in left center, six rows from the fence, we got a little bit of sun and enjoyed a Pirates victory. I wish I could say that it was a fairly earned one, but the Cards were just not playing well. A few errors and several walks cost them the game, as five of the first six Pittsburgh runs were unearned.

Viña had to leave the game in the fifth, replaced by Miguel Cairo, after a collision at first base. I missed the incident (retrieving a footlong with peppers and onions) but I hope that he is okay. Lofton continued his hitting streak to 23 games Sunday afternoon with an RBI double to put the Pirates on top. It ended up being the difference in the game.

I'm definitely sorry to leave PNC Park and the 'Burgh, but I know that I will come back! Next trip: Old Forbes Field.
12:17:45 PM  comment [ [Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "commentCount" hasn't been defined.] ]  #  

Today my Dad and I had the opportunity to trek down to Miller Park in Milwaukee to take the ballpark tour. Our tourguide was a fella in his 40s named Brian who took us from the Hot Corner through the .300 club, the press box, the visitor's clubhouse and then onto the field and into the bullpen. It was a great experience and I'd really like to see the game played there. Click on the photo to see my pictures from the day. On our way back, we detoured through Appleton, WI to see Fox Cities Stadium, home of the single-A Timber Rattlers, part of the Seattle Mariners' organization and where A-Rod made his professional debut. We walked up to the ticket office and got seats for the evening's game against the Battle Creek Yankees. We arrived late (who starts a ballgame at 6:35?! Apparently the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.) but our seats were stellar. We were in the first row just to the right of the screen, to the left of the dugout. Not too shabby. Cost of the seats? $15. For Two. Brats were $3.25 and a giant beer was $5.25. Major Leagues, take note.

We saw some pretty good ball and some pretty bad ball. But it was worth it for the atmosphere, and being closer than the pitcher to home plate. Look tomorrow for my May Day gallery!
12:39:35 AM  comment [ [Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "commentCount" hasn't been defined.] ]  #  

Baseball Musings has a bit up about stadium attendance being down this year. I'm really not all that surprised to tell you the truth. I decided I couldn't afford my season tickets in Baltimore this year, and had to give up my seats in right field that I so desperately loved. Time to cinch up the belt a bit, I said. But I realized the other day that it's not that I've got less money, it's that the trip to the ballgame is so damned expensive.

Tickets: $20 a piece to sit in the outfield.
Hot Dog: $4.25
Beer: $6ish
Soda: $4.50

If you look at it, I spent between $8 and $15 a game for each time I went. I decided I didn't want to pay that to see a third rate team play ball. Yes, Mr. Angelos, your Orioles aren't any good. They have rays of hope, in 'drigo Lopez and Jorge Julio, but you waste them by not building the team around them. Instead, you waste all of our time and hard-earned money by creating a team that last year couldn't even win more games than it lost. And you wonder why attendance is down this year? Your team sucks, build a ballclub that puts on a good show day in, day out and wins more than they lose and you stand a chance at getting me back in Baltimore. Because I won't pay $30 a week to watch the Orioles lose, and do so in an embarassing progression of bad play and bad at-bats.

Except that's not what this is about, really. I suspect that Angelos in fact isn't trying so that he can play poor little owner when it comes time to talk about DC baseball this fall. They're talking about building a brand new stadium downtown over on New York Avenue here, and likely I would sell my car to buy season tickets. Yes, I'm that desperate for baseball. I realize that this stands directly in opposition to my previously stated belief, as it is likely that the new Senators will likely spend a season or two sucking, however, since I won't have to expend a ton of effort getting to the ballpark, it becomes an impulse buy. As Apple removed the barriers to effective music buying, so now the new Senators would remove a barrier to getting me to the ballpark.

So, I suppose that's why I'm getting my Baseball fix on DirecTV instead of live and in person. It's much cheaper to watch at home.
2:51:43 PM  comment [ [Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "commentCount" hasn't been defined.] ]  #