Media Shemedia

Two nights back, I caught about 15 minutes of SportsCenter on ESPN. They had three features on spring training. Guess what teams they focused on? Yep, the Yankess (who really think they have the horses to do 'it' this year) the Red Sox (and their all-new infield) and the St. Louis Cardinals (not sure what was discussed, because by then, I'd tuned out). Let the east coast media bias began. They must despise the fact that the White Sox are the defending world champions and the South Side is a baseball backwater no more.

Oh, they did have a follow-up on the whole pissing contest between KW and Frank. Its already been covered to death by every other Sox blogger and the media, so I'm not going to bother to write about it here.

Shut up and play ball.

More from the Valley of the Sun

This is the slowest time of the year for a sports fan like me. Football season over, baseball season not yet to begin, the Olympic done. A quick surf thru the sports channels this afternoon and all I came across was rodeo, indoor football, women's college basketball (on 2 channels!) and Italian League soccer.

It will be a different story next weekend with the Sox first game from spring training set for saturday afternoon.

I stole this:
Pitching Schedule
From the desk of Don Cooper ...
Monday's intrasquad game will feature: Mark Buehrle, Brandon McCarthy, Lance Broadway, Ray Liotta, Bobby Jenks and Neal Cotts.
March 1 vs. Colo: Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, Charlie Haeger, Javier Lopez and Arnie Munoz.
March 2 vs. Ariz: Freddy Garcia, Jeff Bajenaru, Chad Bentz, Rusty Tucker, Paulino Reynoso, Cotts and Corwin Malone.
March 3 at Ariz: Buehrle, Dustin Hermanson, Liotta, Broadway, Cliff Politte.
March 4 vs. Ariz: McCarthy, Lopez, Munoz, Haeger, Tucker, Bentz.

No other notes, other than reports that Uribe is out of shape and the Sox are considering dealing Crede (I hope they don't).

We'll find out tomorrow whether or not Minnie Minoso gets into the Hall of Fame. What a great character - he deserves it!

Not sexy, just sad

not sexy, just sad

I'm recovering from the wreckage that was a bachelor party in Lincoln Park last night. I suppose it was fairly typical by such standards, with the usual array of whip cream, power tools and kids bowling pins. It was disgusting, and abusive (towards the groom-to-be, not the ladies). It really wasn't my type of scene and I wanted to leave about 2 hours before I could polietly make my exit.

I like looking at naked women, but the whole 'show' and dances just do nothing for me. It seems so awkward and unnatural, and I wind up thinking more about how the poor girl wound up in this situation, and trying to read her tatoos, than enjoying the phoney boobs in my face. I guess I would feel differently if I was a drunken 22 year old as opposed to a sober, jaded 37 year old. I did get an ego boost when I was chatting up one of the hotties. I told her I was enjoying myself but that I don't get out much and she said "You should. You're really cute. I love your hair. I'm a sucker for curly hair like yours." I guess she was telling the truth only because if she felt the opposite way, she probably just wouldn't have said anything.

I drank a few beers, ate some pizza, and renewed friendships - a few guys that were in attendance I hadn't seen in 15 years or so... and I nearly feel asleep driving home wondering how all my friends from high school have somehow gained some notable weight in the past 18 years, while my waist size has been a constant 30.

I'm too old for this shit. Baseball season better start soon so I have something to do with my time other than read and attend these types of 'dog-and-pony' shows.

Deal of a lifetime

get em while they're cheap

Over the past few years, from time to time, I've given mention of the fine quality of vintage baseball garments offered up by Jerry Cohen and my long time pals at Ebbets Field Flannels. I've been a customer of theirs for over 12 years, and I feel compelled to let you all know that they are in the having an amazing - albeit it very short - sale on a dozen great classic jerseys from the archives - one of which, the 1958 Aberdeen Phesants home jersey, is pictured above. These jerseys are normally a steal at their regular price of $175, but until Feb 28th, you can pick one up for just $99 (plus shipping). 11 other great style to choose from, the finest of which hasn't been available for years, but I've owned for more than decade - the 1951 Sioux City Soos road jersey.

Seriously, this type of deal only comes along about once every 5 years or so, so don't miss out!

HNT #6

HNT #6 - better late than never

The Babes of Winter

AH yeah

I haven't been watching much of the Winter games - some speed skating, lots of curling, and last night, a lil figure skatin'.

I've watched enough curling to pick up on the fact that USA Women's curling team member Cassie Johnson (picture, above) is very attractive... and by attractive I mean good looking in that way that only very pale skinned blondes from Northern Minnesota can be...

All the attention has been on super babe, Sasha Cohen. She's cute, but awful young looking for me. She's also got no chest, which is probably great if you're a competitive figure skater, but someday she might want to aspire to a higher calling, like posing for Playboy (maybe in an 'Olympic babe' pictorial with Cassie Johnson). That would be great. So, I hope she wins gold, then grows some boobs, and winds up in a XXX home video with Kid Rock.

Speaking of boobs, I'm going to a bachelor party this weekend in Lincoln Park. Not too thrilling for me, though the organizer is billing it as being 'truly depraived'. It will be my first such event. Sad, I know, I'm in my mid-30s and stood up in at least 5 weddings, including best man at one, but never been to such an event. My close freinds just aren't into that sort of thing. I don't feel I've missed out. There is nothing sexy or erotic about watching two women shove cucumbers into each other, and then share a huge black double dong. I'm going, but more for the free drinks than the puppet show.

EasyW's Book Nook

As part of my winter hibernation, I've been reading like a muthafucker. About 2 weekends back, I finshed up both Charles Alexander's fine account of pro baseball in the depression Breaking The Slump, and I also blew thru the Hard Case Crime pulp fiction Little Girl Lost by Richard Aleas.

Breaking The Slump is a fine example of the baseball narrative style that has made Alexander one of- if not the - finest living historical baseball author. Covering the period of the late 1920s to the early 1940s, Alexander, a professor of History at Ohio Uinversity, goes beyond the stats (though there are plenty of those) and looks at a variety of economic, business and personal factors surrounding the game at that time. There are plenty of quirky stories and also some good, lenghty chapters on both the minor and Negro leagues at that time. I give my highest recommendation to this wonderful book.

In a completely different genre - out of pure curosity - I picked by the pulp fiction Little Girl Lost by Richard Aleas. I normally don't read these types of books, but for reasons I can't explain, this one interested me. It turned out to be just what I needed - a break from all the high-brow lit I'm usually into. This is an outstanding hard-boiled crime novel that can easily be read in a long weekend. The stroyline revolves around a dead stripper and her ex-boyfriend detective. The ending has a twist, but you saw the film Body Heat, you can guess where it ends.

To the pleasure I found with Little Girl Lost, I also read another in the Hard Case Crime Series - Grifter's Game by Lawrence Block (orginally published under the title Mona back in 1961). This was also pretty good, and with another surprise ending.

My winter reading list is still fairly packed. I'm currently reading The Brazilians by Joseph Page. Its just a cultural and historical essay on the people and culture of Brazil. I think I've read parts of this before, and its such a big book, I probably won't have the chance to finish it before its due back at the library. I'm also still reading The Worldly Philosphers by Robert Heilbroner, and plan to begin notable baseball scribe Leonard Koppett's study of great managers - The Man In the Dugout - later this week. Still have to finish Angela's Ashes and am re-reading parts of Crime and Punishment as well.

All this before May, when I need to start in on Walden. I'm cursed by the need to read.

Sox Notes

Well, not really, but...

Disgraced Sox 'fan' - William Ligue Jr. - apparently can't keep on the right side of the law. already on probation, he's now been arrested for allegedly stealing a car stereo in the parking lot of a pizza joint in Harvey. If convicted, he faces a few years of hard time. So, that's good news for the KC Royals coaching staff.

Outfielder Chris Young, who was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Javier Vazquez trade, will miss most of spring training with a broken hand.

Lack of BJ

270 pounds? Tough to tell.

Photo above stolen from Charles Rex Arborgast/AP

Lack of BJ? Well, in more ways than one, but right now, I'm talking about Sox reliver phenom Bobby Jenks.

Reports are that Jenks missed SoxFest because of the death of an uncle. Then he missed the trip to the White House last week (not sure a reason was given), and an autograph session at the auto show (reason given - car accident). Per on article on the Sox official website, he's apparently reported to spring training, though no mention of current weight or health is made. Maybe its not an issue.

But maybe it is.

I'm not doubting these reasons, but based on Jenks history, you have to question them.

I'm going to dig a little deeper and see if I can find if anything else is going on...

Sure signs of spring

from Arizona

Besides registering the softball team for our summer league, which I did earlier in the week...

PITCHERS AND CATCHERS HAVE REPORTED TO SPRING TRAINING

DAYTONA 500 (though I am not a huge auto racing fan)

A Big Day For Shani

Shani Davis

Southside native Shani Davis became the first African American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics on saturday, when he cruised to victory in the 1000m men's speed skating. On his victory lap, he gave a nod to his hood, wearing a Sox cap.

Congrats! What an incredible honor. So far, near as I can tell, this is the best story to come out of Turin...

It won't be long

here we go

One sure sign of spring - I signed up the company softball team for our co-ed rec league. Summer evenings in Grant Park from late May thru July. Thankfully, Lollapaloser was scheduled for August this year, so the season will likely not be disrupted as it was last year. Our home ground do get a mention in this article on the concert.

A few of our girls from the past two years can't play, but we recently picked up some new, hotter ones. I am really looking forward to playing again this year.

OU men's basketball lost to Miami last night and after a strong start, appears to be in full-on free-fall mode... Ugh - we can't get anything right!

STATS, Inc., RIP

I've just been informed that STATS, Inc. will no longer be producing their annual Scouting Notebook. That's tough for me, as it has been an important part of my baseball acumen for the past few seasons, so much so that I literally had to pull my 2005 copy out of the trash to use again this year...

Anyone have any suggestions, besides the crappy Baseball Alamanac, to replace this fine annual publication?

White Sox White House

The only Sox story in the past week has been the supposed controversey surrounding Ozzie's lack of attendance at the team's visit to the White House. By now, you're familiar with the story - last weekend Mayor Daley made some 'off-the-cuff' comments about it; something to the affect of when the president calls you attend, its a big deal, blah blah blah. Ozzie Jr responded perfectly saying his father is not a politician, has been to the White House before, and cares about only 2 things in life, his baseball team and his family. Ozzie was on a family vacation and certainly Mayor Daley, a family man himself, could understand. I'd like to say to was a political statement, but it wasn't.

The real story - it was the 2nd event in as many months that Jenks has cancelled on - the 1st being his appearance at SoxFest. Wonder what's up...

One comment about the White House visit; if you saw any pics of Ed Farmer, it looked like he was wearing a white suit, with no tie and no socks with penny loafers. Did he maybe think he was going on the Presidential yacht? What a class act.

HNT #5

HNT #5

Stay With Me

Personal and technical difficulties have kept me from posting the last few days.

No worries. A week's worth of observations is on its way - projectile vomit style - in the next day or so...

HNT #4

HNT #4

The Dog Days of Winter

These are the 'dog days' of winter on the south side - that period of cold-weather suffuring with the novelty of holiday snow long since gone, and spring not quite around the corner. January was nice and mild, it was above 40 most of the month, which was much needed after all the snow and cold in December. Old Man winter is back with a vengence this month. Great.

Its also an in-between time for my viewing of sports. February - the time between the Super Bowl and spring training. Since I'm not a basketball or hockey fan, I have no interest in any sport this time of the year. However... I'm a Winter Olympics nerd - in 2002 I trekked out to Park City to catch some of the events (and do some skiing of my own). Fun time. So, to cover those 'in between dogs days', this month I'll have more posts on the events from Torino (or Turin). The games begin friday (well, saturday, really. The opening ceremony is friday).

Free Sox Tickets

One way the Sox continue to build a loyal fan base is thru the Free Sox Kids' Club. Register your lil one for free and here is what you walk away with:

--'tradable' stickers
--6 baseball cards featuring White Sox players (though not specifically identified as such on the site, one would assume these are 'tradeable' as well)
--a welcome postcard from Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. It would be cool if he sent these from Venezuela, but that is probably not the case.
--a Sox poster, one lacking Timo Perez.
--2 free upper deck reserved tickets to one"regular" game. "Regular" meaning a weekday vs KC, Seattle, Detroit or Tampa. Subject to availbility, of course.

Still, not a bad deal, since it don't cost nuthin'.

One More Friday Night

I haven't been posting much in the past month because 1) there hasn't been much Sox news to discuss and 2) work has been kicking my ass.

Luckily, my work load winds down after this week.

Some notes:

I'm fairly proud of myself for only drinking 2 beers in the past week (after last friday's drunken debacle at SoxFest). I had a Special Export tallboy on sunday (or was it monday) and a big ol Miller Lite draft 'Happy Meal' on the Metra on thrusday. I still just have no desire to drink these days.

One reason might be because I'm nursing a small cold. I've been battling it all week. Its one of those colds that is just enough to annoy you, but not enough to make you call in sick to work or sleep all day. I've been fighting the bug with my usual dose of airborne, acai juice, smoothies, coffee, the occassional shot of Afrin, and more sleep than usual.

Something must be wrong with me, though. I almost never have dreams... but last night I had a terrifying nightmare that I was in Rwanda during that horrible massacre a few years back. I was hiding in the attic of an old house with my family while a mob of angry young men with machetes was downstairs looking for me. YIKES! Maybe its the acai juice...

I'm almost finished with Breaking the Slump. A review to follow soon.

Haven't seen any good movies lately... I did listen to the new Strokes album, but can't decide if I like it or not. I'm so tired of vocal music, all I can bring myself to listen to these days is chill jazz and Haydn's sympohines.

I'm hoping the MILF gives me something to write about this weekend.

Looper

Devyn over at Looper was kind enough to fulfill my request and take a few artistic shots of the ugly building which currently houses my place of employment. I've never seen it look better.

HNT #3

back that thing up!