Monday, April 30, 2012

My Baseball Fantasy: Carlos González


Private League: tied, 5-5 (16-23-1 overall, 8th place out of 10 teams)
Public League: won, 7-2-1 (19-20-1, 8th out of 12)
My Player of the Week: Carlos González (Left Fielder/Center Fielder, Rockies) with 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 7 runs, 2 stolen bases and a .391 batting average

I'm very pleased with how things are going in the public league now but this is my third tie in a row in the private league.  A tie is better than a loss but it'd be good to get over the hump with a win.


Photo via Baseball Latin America

González won the Luis Aparicio Award in 2010.  No, I'd never heard of it either.  It's given annually to the top Venezuelan player in the Majors.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Rollie Zeider

Player: Rollie Zeider
Born: 11/16/1883 in Auburn, Indiana
Died: 9/12/1967 in Garrett, Indiana
Major League Career: 1910-18
Games Played at Second Base: 335
Most Games Played For: Chicago White Sox


Photo via Wikipedia

Zeider's nickname was Bunions for the fact that Ty Cobb once spiked him in the foot, causing blood poisoning.  In addition to versatility, having played more than 100 games at each of the four infield positions, Zeider's great asset was speed.  He stole 223 bases over his nine-year career.

It is only fitting to wrap up this year's A to Z Challenge with Zeider.  Chicago is far and away the best-represented city among my A-Z second basemen.  Four of my 26 spent more of their careers with the Cubs than any other franchise - highest total for one team.  The White Sox tied for second with the Detroit Tigers at three each.  Zeider played for the Cubs, White Sox and also the Chicago Whales of the short-lived Federal League.  He is, in fact, the only player to hit home runs for all three clubs.

*******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.





Sunday, April 29, 2012

Family Adventures: Pirates


We spent a delightful afternoon with the Mocks today.  First, we had lunch at Joyce's.  I really like Joyce's but I have yet to find a favorite dish there.  I had the Hunan spicy pork today - good but not great. 


Image via Geek Tyrant

Afterward, we went to see The Pirates! Band of Misfits.  We are all big Wallace & Gromit fans and thus excited for the latest Aardman Animation offering.  For My Wife, the film satisfies many interests.  For starters, she loves pirates.  She's also a Doctor Who fan so David Tennant devoting his voice talents for the character of Charles Darwin was a plus.  She likes Brian Blessed (The Pirate King) a lot, too.

Overall, it's a fun movie.  The combined claymation/CGI animation is outstanding, as expected.  The humor is clever with a nice balance of jokes to satisfy both kids and adults.  I have to admit, though, that I did fall asleep part way through.  Apparently, Mock did, too, which made me feel less guilty.  I'd say three-out-of-five stars is a fair assessment.

Alas, April break is over now - back to work tomorrow.  Sigh...

Saturday, April 28, 2012

On the Coffee Table: Marvel Star Wars, Vol. 2


Title: Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago...., Volume 2


Image via Dark Horse

This second volume includes issues #28-49 of Marvel's Star Wars series plus the first annual.  While Marvel was producing Star Wars comic books in the late '70s, they didn't have a whole lot to go on in terms of writing new stories for the characters of the original film.  The Lucas people weren't much help in terms of where they were going next with sequels.  And so, the comic books ended up taking directions which were eventually contradicted by The Empire Strikes Back, thus the low canon value of those early comics today.


Image via Amazon

As a result, one of the most interesting stories in this collection is also one of the most problematic.  The first Star Wars Annual was originally published in December 1979, just a few months before the film release of Empire.  The story, entitled The Long Hunt, is guest-written by Chris Claremont, the long time writer for The Uncanny X-Men and for the outstanding original Wolverine solo series, among many other projects.  An alternate version of the story of Luke's father is offered here, one in which Obi Wan's original tale of Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker as two separate people is followed.  It would seem that Lucas & Co. managed to keep the secret of their big plot twist pretty well.


Image via Telkur Station

Volume 2 also contains the comic adaptation of Empire.  Most interesting to me are a couple of details from the movie that were left out of the comic book version: Han Solo slicing open a tauntaun in order to stuff Luke inside and, later, the remaining stump from Luke's severed hand.  The comic writers may simply not have known about the first in time for the publication schedule but leaving out the second was clearly a deliberate choice.  In both instances, I wonder if it may have been a case of what would pass in 1980 for a PG-rated film but not with the Comics Code Authority.

Other highlights from this volume:
  • Jabba the Hut (note: still just one t) returns in issue #28 and Han actually manages to have his debt cancelled.  Thank goodness, Solo falls out of favor once again in issue #37, just in time for the plot developments in Empire.
  • Omega Frost, a weapon featured in issues #31-34 which essentially freezes everything between two conductor towers, was surely inspired at least in part by ice-nine from Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle.
  • More Wookiees!  In issue #46, Lando and Chewbacca visit the world of Cody Sunn-Childe.  Among Sunn-Childe's entourage is another Wookiee, the first Chewie has seen in a long time.  Their bond is genuinely touching, a sign of a more sensitive take on the Wookiee persona, post-Empire.  Lando also gets some much needed character development in the same issue.
For my review of the first volume, please use the link here.  For more, check out J. Caleb Mozzocco's excellent review at Every Day Is Like Wednesday (thanks for the link, Mock).  I'm looking forward to Volume 3!

Looking for A-Z?  Scroll down one post or use the link here.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Eric Young

Player: Eric Young
Born: 5/18/1967 in New Brunswick, New Jersey
Major League Career: 1992-2006
Games Played at Second Base: 1,295
Most Games Played For: Colorado Rockies


Photo via Bleacher Report

Eric Young was one of the original members of the Colorado Rockies and hit a home run in the team's first-ever home at-bat. His best season was 1996: .324 batting average, 8 homers, 74 RBI, 53 stolen bases, All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger. He is currently first base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Friday, April 27, 2012

On the Road: The Family Passions



Photo via District of Columbia

Our Girl and I typically spend our April break in Washington, DC visiting my parents.  It's a great time of year to be in the city.  The mad rush to see cherry blossoms is over but the dogwoods and other flowering trees are in bloom and the long, muggy summer is still a ways off.  It's generally a good time to escape from Vermont, too, though this year's early spring here has been very pleasant.  Of course, as I sit here now for my reflections on our trip, it's a dreadfully grey day and there is, in fact, some light snow coming down.  Zheesh!

Our DC trips have evolved over the years.  Early on, I was eager to show my daughter as much as possible in what time we had.  But as the novelty of zoos and museums have worn off, she's usually pretty content to have smaller adventures with Grandma around the Kalorama neighborhood where my parents live.  However, there is so much to share in that great city and while it wasn't really planned as such, this particular trip became an occasion for my parents and even for me to share with Our Girl aspects of Washington that have long been important to each of us. 


Sunday

Music in general and singing in particular have been lifelong passions of my father's.  He has been a member of the Choral Arts Society of Washington (CASW) basically since we moved to the DC area in 1976.  Growing up, the annual Christmas concert at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony was a very important family event.  My own love for choral music didn't emerge until college but the seeds were surely planted early.  Our Girl had yet to attend one of Grandpa's concerts when my father asked during our visit in December if we'd like to come to the Brahms Requiem performance when we came in April.  I was a little worried about Our Girl's ability to sit through it so I stalled on a decision.  But he kept asking so once our travel plans were finalized, I figured it was worth trying.  Our Girl was a bit apprehensive but once assured she could bring a book just in case, she agreed.


Photo via WBRI

It didn't occur to me until we arrived in DC why this particular performance was so important to my father.  While I knew the group had just hired a new conductor for the fall, I did not grasp that the Requiem concert would be the final Kennedy Center performance for Norman Scribner, the founding conductor of the CASW, the man who had built the organization over 47 years.  Scribner has been an important person in my father's life for 36 of those 47 - and, I suppose, my own vicariously.  The Brahms Requiem is Scribner's favorite piece and thus an appropriate send off.  The performance was about as close to perfect as you'll ever hear, capped by the most sincere and richly deserved standing ovation I've ever witnessed.  Chorus, orchestra and soloists all deferred tribute to the man of the hour.  There was not a dry eye in the house.  Our Girl even made it through without a book.


Monday

For the past several years, my mother has served as a docent at the Freer Gallery, one of two Smithsonian museums devoted mostly to Asian art.  The museum has become every bit as important to my mother as singing is to my father, if not more so.  The Freer and neighboring Sackler are currently exhibiting a rare and wonderful treat: the complete collection of Hokusai's 36 Views of Mount Fuji!  I've been in love with Hokusai's woodblock prints since childhood and his Great Wave off Kanagawa, the most famous of the 36 Views collection, is most certainly my favorite work of art in the whole world.


Image via Random knowledge

There are actually 46 prints in total and it was quite exciting to see them all together in one place.  After our visit on Monday, we also took a quick peek into the African Art Museum next door.  With that excursion, I have now been to all of the museums on the National Mall during my lifetime.


Tuesday

I've been saving one of my personal DC favorites for when I thought Our Girl would be ready for it.  Until recently, she has been very uneasy in movie theaters but as many who've followed my blog already know, we've managed to see quite a lot of films over the past several months.  As such, I felt it was time for her to see To Fly, the Air and Space Museum's original IMAX film, screened every day since the museum opened in 1976.  For me, To Fly never gets old.  I am not ashamed to admit that I am afraid of heights and To Fly allows me to test the limits of that fear without even getting up from my seat.  At one moment, you are riding along in a car when suddenly the Earth drops out from under you.  At another, you are practically poured out onto the New York skyline.  Our Girl got scared and clutched my arm a couple of times and I must admit to some jumpiness of my own.  But we both survived.


Image via MacGillvray Freeman Films

Afterwards, we went upstairs to take in a planetarium show, too.  She had been to a planetarium before.  There's one at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  But not surprisingly, the Smithsonian is in a different league.  They do a basic night sky show once a day but they also have what are essentially movies projected on the ceiling.  We saw Infinity Express, narrated by Laurence Fishburne.


Wednesday

For the most part, Our Girl was eager to do "whatever Grandma wants to do" but she did express an interest in visiting the Natural History Museum - my own childhood preference, too.  The museum has been transformed in recent decades and now only barely resembles what I remember from my youth.  The big elephant still dominates the atrium and the dinosaur bones and the Hope Diamond still draw crowds but there's plenty new to explore.  If anything, I find the museum a bit overwhelming.  It vies with Air and Space for the title of world's most visited and the crowds can certainly be oppressive.  We had a good wander, though, beginning in the sea exhibit, then heading to the mammals through human origins.  The human origins exhibit was new to all of us and very impressive.


Food

Washington is a great city for restaurants and my parents are always very generous in sharing their favorite spots.  After the concert on Sunday, we went to Mourayo, a Greek restaurant near Dupont Circle.  I had the grilled lamb chops which were absolutely divine.  My Wife is a big lamb fan and I was sad she wasn't with us for it but I'll have a good recommendation for when we're all there together.  They don't have a children's menu per se but they came up with a great bowl of pasta for Our Girl.  Between that and the ample supply of wonderful bread, she was a happy camper.

On Tuesday, my parents took us to Pizzeria Paradiso, also near the Circle.  Our Girl and I split a 12-inch paradiso pie with prosciutto on half - delicious.  They have an outstanding beer selection, too.

On Wednesday, on our way back from Natural History, we stopped at FroZenYo, one of my mother's favorites.  I had cake batter yogurt with whipped cream and gummy bears.  I also got to finish Our Girl's mint chocolate chip, one of the fringe benefits of fatherhood.


Final Thoughts

I love the Smithsonian but it is draining, especially for a kid.  I'm very glad to have made the trips downtown this visit but for future adventures, I think I'd like to invest more of our time in exploring the Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan areas near my parents.  There's plenty to see, including the Phillips Collection and Textile Museum.  I've never been to either.  I enjoy our DC trips, but it's always good to come home, too, even if it's snowing in late April.

Looking for A-Z?  Scroll down one post or use the link here.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Steve SaX

Player: Steve Sax
Born: 1/29/1960 in Sacramento, California
Major League Career: 1981-94
Games Played at Second Base: 1,679
Most Games Played For: Los Angeles Dodgers


Photo via Fanbase

Once again, I assert that an X at the end of a name is no less an X than one at the beginning.

Steve Sax retired with two World Series rings, five All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger and the 1982 Rookie of the Year Award. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, he was an outspoken activist in the players' union. Most surprising to me, Sax owns the Yankees' record for singles in a season: 171 in 1989. All of those great hitters in Yankee history and Steve Sax, of all people, owns that record.

*******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.



Thursday, April 26, 2012

Second Basemen, A to Z: Lou Whitaker

Player: Lou Whitaker
Born: 5/12/1957 in Brooklyn, New York
Major League Career: 1977-95
Games Played at Second Base: 2,308
Most Games Played For: Detroit Tigers


Photo via Brettkiser's Blog

Lou Whitaker has the most games at second base of any player not in the Hall of Fame. His career is forever tied to that of shortstop Alan Trammel. The two were the longest running double play combination in Major League history. Both men played their entire careers for the Tigers and are beloved in Detroit.


Photo via basically gherkins

Whitaker's credentials are stellar: five All-Star Games, one World Series title, three Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and the 1978 Rookie of the Year Award. Bill James, the sabermetrics guru, ranked him as 13th best second baseman of all-time in his Historical Baseball Abstract. He is not in the Hall despite having stats comparable to his National League contemporary, Ryne Sandberg, inducted in 2005. He will be eligible for the Veterans' Committee ballot in 2015.

*******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Orioles 2012: Bottom of the 1st


Image via Diamond-Uniforms

The Orioles continue to play well.  At the 18-game mark, the win-loss record stands at 11-7.  In this post, we'll look at the top of the batting order: the first three hitters in the lineup, guaranteed to hit in the first inning.  The job of the first three hitters is to set the table for the power hitters who will follow.  It's the leadoff man's job to get on base, then advance as quickly as possible.  He is usually the team's fastest player.  The #2 hitter is a contact hitter's spot.  He needs to move the runner along, hopefully manage to reach base safely himself.  The 3-spot is where you usually put your best all-around hitter, someone who can hit for both power and average.  Earl Weaver, legendary manager of the Orioles during their heyday, believed in playing for 3-run homers and in the best case scenario, the top of the order can get that done right away.  From the sabermetric view, the most important responsibility of these three - and truly any - hitters is to get on base without causing an out.  Let's see how the Birds are doing so far.  We'll go last to first...


The Three-Hole


Photo via Fantasy Baseball Dugout

Right fielder Nick Markakis is beginning his seventh Major League season, all played with Baltimore.  He is a former Olympian, having played for the Greek national team in the 2004 Games in Athens.  While the team is playing well, Markakis has had a slow start, only hitting .231 with 2 homers.  Compared to other teams hitting from the #3 spot, the Orioles are 22nd in the Majors in on-base percentage, 23rd in slugging and 23rd in OPS which combines the two.


The Two-Hole

Photo via Bleacher Report

Shortstop J.J. Hardy is in his eighth Major League season, second with the Birds.  He is the son of two professional athletes, his father a tennis player, his mother a golfer.  He was a pleasant surprise for the O's last year, finishing the season with 30 home runs.  But like Markakis, he's yet to take off in 2012: .185 batting average.  Hitting from the #2 spot, the Orioles are 27th in the Majors in on-base percentage.


The Leadoff Platoon

The leadoff role is currently shared by Endy Chavez and Nolan Reimold.  The two men are also splitting duties in left field.  Over the past nine games, the lefty Chavez has gotten six of the starts, all against right-handed starting pitchers.  The righty Reimold got the nod against the one left-handed starter and two against righties. 


Photo via Wikipedia
The 34-year-old Chavez hails from Venezuela.  The Orioles signed him as a free agent to a one-year contract in December.  His batting average is an abysmal .156 and he was caught stealing the only time he tried. 


Photo via Oriole Post

Reimold, on the other hand, has had an outstanding April.  He leads the team in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.  He stole successfully on his only attempt.  This begs the very obvious question of why he's not playing every day, especially with Chavez playing so poorly.  Baseball conventional wisdom says that, all else being equal, you should hit lefties against righties and righties against lefties.  But here's the kicker: Reimold has, to this point, hit better against right-handed pitching than Chavez has!  I suppose one month isn't much to go on and it's dangerous to tinker with a team that's playing well, but the decision seems obvious to me.


Looking Ahead

Overall, I suppose it's good news that the Orioles are winning even though the top of the lineup is hitting so poorly.  I am hopeful that Hardy and, certainly, Markakis can turn things around.  If the team starts losing and the trend described above continues, giving Reimold the full-time gig at leadoff will be unavoidable.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Fernando Viña

Player: Fernando Viña
Born: 4/16/1996 in Sacramento, California
Major League Career: 1993-2004
Games Played at Second Base: 1,049
Most Games Played For: Milwaukee Brewers


Photo via Bleacher Report

Fernando Viña was an All-Star in 1998 and a Gold Glove winner in 2001 and 2002. He had a .282 lifetime batting average. He currently works as an analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.

******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.




Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Second Basemen, A to Z: Chase Utley

Player: Chase Utley
Born: 12/17/1978 in Pasadena, California
Major League Career: 2003-present
Games Played at Second Base: 1,038
Most Games Played For: Philadelphia Phillies


Photo via PRowl Public Relations

Chase Utley provides more than just alphabetical convenience at letter U. When healthy, he's the best offensive second baseman in the National League. A five-time All-Star, Sports Illustrated named Utley their second baseman for the All-Decade Team in 2009.

*******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.



Monday, April 23, 2012

On the Coffee Table: Foundation and Empire

Title: Foundation and Empire
Author: Isaac Asimov


Image via goodreads.com

Foundation and Empire was the second book of Asimov's original Foundation trilogy.  The novel was published in 1952 but the two stories contained within - The General and The Mule - were originally published in 1945 in Astounding Magazine.  Back in January, I reviewed the first book of the trilogy here.

As I wrote in that post, I first read the series in high school, 20+ years ago.  While I enjoyed the books then, I must admit that I don't remember individual characters and plot details as well as I do for other stories I read in my youth, or even other Asimov stories, such as Caves of Steel, part of his Robots series.  Part of that has to do with structure.  Each story within the series takes place in its own era with few characters turning up in future installments.  It's more the idea of the Foundation series that is memorable - the concept that the future is mathematically predictable and, as a result, inevitable no matter what the characters do.  Or so they believe.

That said, I've always remembered The Mule as the gem of the whole series.  Magnifico is the series's most unusual character and his story is masterfully told.  There's a big plot twist at the end.  I won't give it away except to say that Asimov very cleverly gives the reader many hints along the way while the characters in the story remain oblivious.  Also, his descriptions of Magnifico's musical performances are exquisite.

Question: what is the statute of limitations on plot spoilers?

Bayta Darell is another interesting character in The Mule, essentially the story's female lead.  There are very few female characters in the Foundation series and Bayta is notable for the fact that Asimov quite explicitly presents her as a woman undaunted in a male-dominated society.  Asimov considered himself a feminist even before the Women's Lib movement and at least twice in the story, Bayta is described through the eyes of astonished chauvenistic observers.
Looking for A-Z?  Scroll down two posts or try the link here.

My Baseball Fantasy: Michael Bourn

Private League: tied, 5-5 (11-18-1 overall, 8th place out of 10)
Public League: won, 8-2 (12-18, 10th out of 12)
My Player of the Week: Michael Bourn (center fielder, Braves) with 7 runs, 3 RBI, 5 stolen bases and a .464 batting average



Photo via Rant Sports

Okay, this is more like it.  It's nice to finally be moving up the standings in both leagues.  Michael Bourn is the ideal leadoff hitter - high on-base percentage and always a threat to steal.  He's a brilliant fielder, too, though that doesn't factor in most fantasy leagues.

Looking for A-Z?  Scroll down one post or try the link here.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Manny Trillo

Player: Manny Trillo
Born: 12/25/1950 in Caripito, Venezuela
Major League Career: 1973-89
Games Played at Second Base: 1,518
Most Games Played For: Chicago Cubs


Photo via Wikipedia

Manny Trillo is my second Venezuelan on this year's A-Z list. Interestingly, I had two in last year's list as well! While known mostly for his defensive skills, Trillo had a respectable career at the plate, too, winning Silver Slugger awards in both 1980 and 1981. He is a member of the Venezuelan Hall of Fame.

*******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.




Saturday, April 21, 2012

Second Basemen, A to Z: Ryne Sandberg

Player: Ryne Sandberg
Born: 9/18/1959 in Spokane, Washington
Major League Career: 1981-97
Games Played at Second Base: 1,995
Most Games Played For: Chicago Cubs


Photo via ItsAlreadySigned4U.com

Ryne Sandberg had the highest career fielding percentage of any second baseman in history at .989. Fielding percentage is one of many statistical categories dismissed as misleading by sabermetric buffs but it does indicate the guy was pretty darn good at his job. 10 All-Star selections, 9 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers and the 1984 National League MVP award certainly help to bolster the resume as well. Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.

******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.

Be sure to visit my new friends:

Empty Nest Insider
A.D.Duling Wordpress Blog




Friday, April 20, 2012

Second Basemen, A to Z: Willie Randolph

Player: Willie Randolph
Born: 7/6/1954 in Holly Hill, South Carolina
Major League Career: 1975-92
Games Played at Second Base: 2,152
Most Games Played For: New York Yankees


Photo via Pinstripe Alley

Willie Randolph was a six-time All-Star and a six-time World Series champ, twice as a player and four times as a coach. Despite the fact that he finished his career in the top ten of several major defensive categories, he never won a Gold Glove. He's had a long second career in coaching, including four years managing the Mets. Last year, he was the Orioles' third base coach.

*******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Be sure to visit my friends:

What Else Is Possible?
Annalisa Crawford- Wake up, eat, write, sleep
Christine Rains - Writer
Jennifer Lane Books Blog
Excuse Me While I Note That Down...

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Second Basemen, A to Z: Joe Quinn

Player: Joe Quinn
Born: 12/25/1864 in Sydney, Australia
Died: 11/20/1940 in St. Louis, Missouri
Major League Career: 1884-1901
Games Played at Second Base: 1,304
Most Games Played For: St. Louis Browns/Cardinals


Photo via Business Insider

Joe Quinn was the only Australian born player in the Majors until 1986, when Craig Shipley debuted for the Dodgers. Quinn worked as a mortician in the offseason. Before learning about him, I did not know that the Cardinals, like my Orioles, were once known as the St. Louis Browns.

*******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Be sure to visit my friends:

Sharon Hamilton Author
PT Dilloway
Laura Eno
The story of a girl...

I'm very impressed by those folks out there who are doing the challenge on more than one blog. Such is the case for Matt Conlon at...

The Brew Newb
and
=]V[=

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Second Basemen, A to Z: Del Pratt

Player: Del Pratt
Born: 1/10/1888 in Walhalia, South Carolina
Died: 9/30/1977 in Texas City, Texas
Major League Career: 1912-24
Games Played at Second Base: 1,688
Most Games Played For: St. Louis Browns


Photo via Encore Editions

Del Pratt had a lifetime batting average of .292. He led the American League in RBI with 103 in 1916. Before his Major League career, he was a star running back at Alabama.

******************

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Be sure to visit my new friends:

Wagging Tales
Kiwi's life

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Second Basemen, A to Z: Ron Oester

Player: Ron Oester
Born: 5/5/1956 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Major League Career: 1978-90
Games Played at Second Base: 1,171
Most Games Played For: Cincinnati Reds


Photo via Bleacher Report

Ron Oester played his entire Major League career with the Reds, a loyalty rewarded when the team won the World Series in his final season. In 1988, Oester won the Hutch Award, an honor I'd never heard of before. It's a fighting spirit award. Oester came back from ACL surgery midway through the '88 season, certainly worthy of acknowledgment.

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For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Be sure to visit my friends. Both of these bloggers have been great supporters over the past couple of months, sending tags and awards my way.

Heather Murphy is doing musical instruments for A-Z at her blog Random Interruptions. I've thought of doing instruments myself and Heather has definitely raised the bar.

Nikki has devoted the A-Z challenge and, indeed, her entire blog inspire nordic to her love for all things Scandinavian.

Monday, April 16, 2012

My Baseball Fantasy: Michael Young

Private League: tied, 5-5 (6-13-1 overall, 8th place out of 10 teams)
Public League: lost, 2-8 (4-16 overall, 12th out of 12)
My Player of the Week: Michael Young (Second Baseman/Third Baseman, Rangers) with 1 home run, 3 runs, 8 RBI and a .414 batting average


Photo via Gonzo and 'The Show'

Young is exactly the sort of player I love having on my fantasy team. Eligible at three positions (1B, 2B, 3B), he allows me great flexibility in my daily lineup. He's mostly playing in the designated hitter role for Texas this season. He's a seven-time All-Star and a two-time winner of the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.

A tie is certainly better than a loss so I at least feel things are headed in a better direction in the private league. The public league is another matter. I think perhaps it's time to pursue a trade.


Looking for A-Z? Scroll down three or use the link here.

Family Adventures: Why Japanese Food Is Vitally Important

Image via Facebook

As I have mentioned in previous posts, Japan is a big part of my life. Not only did I spend two years of my young adulthood teaching English in Yokohama but my sister and I were both born in Japan. We were diplo-brats, as my father served at the U.S. embassy in Tokyo for seven years. We left when I was three. It was Dad's last overseas post. We spent the rest of our childhoods in suburban Maryland.

But Japan has been very important to our family ever since, not least in our gastronomical adventures. During our family trip to Europe in 1984, our favorite restaurant in Paris was a yakitori-ya. Sushi restaurants were a popular choice for birthday dinners for many years.

Vermont is not exactly overrun with Japanese restaurants but we decided to try out a new one for lunch on Sunday: San Sai in Burlington. They have a wonderful spot with a view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond. The prices are a little high but the service is good and the food excellent. I went with chirashi. I generally prefer sashimi to sushi so I can control the amount of wasabi, not subject to the whims of the chef. Chirashi's so pretty, too - not really essential to the flavor but visual presentation is very important in Japan, especially where food is concerned. Overall, a great lunch.


Photo via New Ko Sushi Japanese Restaurant - not exactly the same as what I had but a reasonable visual approximation

We had our broomball playoffs this weekend. We're telling our students that we finished in fourth place. I don't think any of them read my blog but just in case, that's my official position here, too. I'm already excited for next season in the fall, though we need to get to work recruiting people who will show up for games. There's plans for kickball this summer. I passed on the spring season but the team did well - for real this time. They finished in second place out of four teams. The league for the summer season is much bigger. The first place team gets to go to Vegas for nationals!


Looking for A-Z? Scroll down two or use the link here.

Orioles 2012: Top of the 1st

Image via Business Insider

The art of loving a bad baseball team is in celebrating the minor triumphs, in following the individual characters in the grand drama that is the 162-game season. My Baltimore Orioles have been bad for a really long time. The team has failed to finish with a winning record for 14 consecutive seasons. But I believe that any true fan loves the game first and the team second. The doormats are as much a part of baseball as the perennial powers. Win or lose, baseball still means nine innings of one of the strangest, most wonderful sports on Earth.

Nine innings equal 18 half-innings. Perhaps not coincidentally, 162 games is divisible by 18. And so, my plan for this baseball season is to post about the Orioles every nine games, featuring the players most likely to play a role in each half-inning. Each man has a role to play. The cast of characters is never static, even on the very best teams. Today's conquering hero is tomorrow's goat. Therein lie the stories that make this game so engaging, no matter which team you like.

The Orioles began their 2012 campaign at home and so we launch with the team's starting pitchers. During the franchise's glory years, the Oriole pitching staff was the envy of the sport. Between 1969 and 1980, four different Baltimore pitchers won the AL Cy Young award a total of six times. As good as they were then is about as bad as they've been in our present era. That said, the young Oriole rotation has gotten off to a relatively promising start this year. The Birds hit the nine-game mark with a 5-4 record and pitching has played a crucial role in this early success. What's more, every Baltimore starter has managed to survive the first inning so far! When you love a bad team, you learn not to take that sort of thing for granted.

The Ace: Jake Arrieta


Photo via Wikipedia

It's hard to think of a man who had a 5.05 ERA last year as the ace of the staff but as the opening day starter, Arrieta gets the tag for now. That said, he's off to a pretty good start. The 26-year-old righty is in his third year in the Majors. With two games under his belt so far, his record is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA. In fact, Arrieta would have been the winning pitcher in his second start but for a blown save opportunity by reliever Luis Ayala. In both games, Arrieta was able to pitch into the seventh inning. Last year, the bullpen was horribly over-extended.


The Second Starter: Tommy Hunter


Photo via Wikipedia

Hunter, a 25-year-old righty from Indianapolis, has also performed well to this point. Also with two starts, he has a 1-0 record with a 2.77 ERA. Two Oriole starters with an ERA under 3? Gotta be pleased with that.


The Veteran: Jason Hammel


Photo via Call to the Pen

Make that three pitchers with an ERA under 3 as Hammel's stands at 2.08, best of the bunch so far. Hammel was acquired in an off-season trade and, at 29, is the old man of the rotation. Asking too much of young pitchers was the club's undoing last year. Are we heading down the same path again?


The Struggling Lefty: Brian Matusz


Photo via The Baseball Index

Here's where the trouble begins. After a very promising rookie campaign in 2010, the lefty Matusz fell apart last year. He missed the first two months of the season with an injury, then was shelled upon his return - less velocity on the fastball cited as an area of major concern. The 2012 season has not begun well. Matusz is 0-2 with a whopping 8.38 ERA.


The Rookie: Wei-Yin Chen


Photo via Baltimore Sports Report

Chen is the mystery man. A dominant pitcher in Japan, the Taiwanese lefty signed with the O's as a free agent during the off-season. His first start was encouraging, only allowing two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. Eventually, the Birds will need him to pitch deeper into games but for his first Major League appearance, not bad at all.


Looking Ahead

It's always great to see your team pitching well. The news has certainly been encouraging thus far but I see a couple of big areas of concern so far. The biggest is Matusz, of course. If he can regain his rookie year form, this team has a chance to at least turn some heads. If the nightmare continues, how long can manager Buck Showalter even afford to keep him in the rotation?

The second area of concern for me is stamina. I understand wanting to preserve arms over a long season but unless the starters can consistently make it through at least six innings, the bullpen will once again be overtaxed.


Looking for A to Z? Scroll down one or use the link here.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Charlie Neal

Player: Charlie Neal
Born: 1/30/1931 in Longview, Texas
Died: 11/18/1996 in Dallas, Texas
Major League Career: 1956-63
Games Played at Second Base: 663
Most Games Played For: Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers


Image via The Trading Card Database

1959 was the highlight year of Charlie Neal's career. That season, he made the All-Star Game (first of three career appearances), won the Gold Glove and the World Series. In Game 2 of the Series, Neal hit two home runs, including the game winner.

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For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Be sure to visit my friends:

Bards and Prophets
Spunk on a Stick's Tips
Spill Beans
My Pet Blog
Seriously - WTH?