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| The Editor takes a dive in Little Rock looking for the Arkansas Travelers |
by The Editor
(photo by Donna Copeland Fuller)
What has
driven my sometimes cruel and savage love for baseball? I didn't
grow up with it. There were zero sports watched or discussed by my
family in my childhood, except for the occasional heavyweight prize
fight. As I've noted several times before, my passion for the game
was born by being forced to listen to Richard Rosen blabber on and on
about it when we worked together recording textbooks in the late
'70s. His encyclopedic knowledge was fascinating. And then I moved
to Los Angeles a few miles from Dodger Stadium and the deal was
sealed. For a half dozen years I went to 25 or so games per season.
And then in the early 80's I started a weekly “fanzine” called
Baseball Diary. And last year I revived BD online! What is wrong
with me?
This
week I will seek to find out just why this game is so fascinating,
and what brings me back to it year after year. Because it just
doesn't make sense to me right now. I've never really liked
“sports”, and still don't follow any other. And yet here I am, glued to the standings every day like
any other knucklehead. What gives?
Maybe
it's television. Like a couple other BD writers have mentioned this
season, I watch every game I can. I haven't yet taken the MLB “watch
every major league game when they're on” plunge. But I've come
close. Where I live, I can almost always watch at least two games
every day for free: the Giants and the A's. I basically detest the
Giants, so I love to see them lose, and I love the A's, so these days
regarding Oakland I'm in hog heaven. In addition to these two games,
about 60% of the time there will be a third free game on. On a day
like today, Labor Day 2012, there are FOUR free games scheduled,
including my favorite team, the Dodgers. Maybe if I observe my
viewing habits, I will get some clue as to why baseball means so
much.
The
first and only game on this morning starts at 10AM, Yankees vs Tampa
Bay. A little after 10:00, I turn on the television, WITH THE SOUND
DOWN. As usual, I will not listen to the play by play, instead opting for
music. I listen to music almost constantly. I love music more than
baseball, as a matter of fact I actually WALKED OUT of the 1981 World
Series at Dodger Stadium in the middle of the game because my band
had a recording date (and not a “paying gig” kind of date, just a
“record a demo” kind of date). I've been chastised by my family
ever since, but that's another story. (I'm sure I'll face further
abuse by admitting this here.) As the games progress today, I will watch some of each game, but I
will also be doing other things. The TV stays on so as I pass by, I
can see the score and/or anything that may need more careful viewing.
10:00
AM
From Bob
Marshall's 1981 DIARY OF A YANKEE HATER:
There
are five attributes that Yankee haters all over the country would
agree on:
1.
They win too much. America loves and roots for the underdog. The
Yankees have not only won more pennants and World Series than any
other team, their lead in this department is obscene: the Yankees
have 22 World Series Championships in their collection; the runner up
St Louis Cardinals have 8.
The bad
news is, the Yankees are once again on top of their division. The
good news is, they're only two games above the Orioles and three and
a half games above The (Devil) Rays, who they're playing this
morning. As Miles Davis, Graham Coxon and Patti Smith play in the
background, I look forward to seeing Tampa Bay make up a game with
these overpaid, smug, self-righteous whiners.
11:00
AM (Keith Jarrett, John Cale, Trio M)
(Note:
Time is a vague, amorphous
concept when I watch games. I often use the "pause" option, so games
can last for hours. They usually don't, but they can. This game was
paused often, as there is much activity here in the house today,
furniture being assembled, exotic Asian dishes being cooked, complex
technological mysteries being explored.)
2.
The Yankees win by buying the best players and paying them too much.
This started in 1920, when Colonel Ruppert bought Babe Ruth from the
Red Sox and has accelerated in the present free agent era.
What a
pleasure seeing Swisher's frist two at bats turn into two outs. Even
Yankee lover/apologist RR dislikes this guy, and no, Swisher didn't point
to the ground when he made his two outs. Rays pitcher Shields starts
out strong, and the Tampa batters go after Sabathia right away, but
as of the 5th inning it's tied 3-3.
Noon
(Left Lane Cruiser, Vivaldi, Roxy Music)
3.
The Yankees get more attention than they deserve. They're in New
York, which is not only the biggest city in the country, but is the
advertising and media capital of the world. If you want to have a
candy bar named after you, someone once said, you have to play in New
York.
Bottom of the 7th, still
tied. Hopefully the Rays can get a few more hits and actually turn
them into runs.
1:00
PM (Moe Tucker, Marcin Wasilewski, Philip Schroeder
4.
The Yankees are arrogant, egotistical and loudmouthed. Yankee
players seem more interested in their personal statistics and
commercial endorsements than in the welfare of the team.
Shields still in the top of the 8th.
Walks Jeter. And then, oh joy! Swisher hits into a double play!
Time to give a little listen to the game. And it's Lou Piniella! I
did not know he was doing announcing! Okay, I gotta confess: yes Lou
was a Yankee, but I love the guy. Says Lou, “Tampa Bay throws less breaking
balls than other other staff in baseball. I don't have numbers to
substantiate that, but I watch a lot of baseball.” Nuff said, Lou!
And then Cano is thrown out on a great play by TB's third baseman,
Johnson. Still tied.
1:20
PM (Blur, Actress, Stan Getz)
5.
Their right fielder is Reggie Jackson [Editor's Note: substitute and
number of current Yankees today.] Reggie is such an immature,
attention seeking prima donna that it is possible to hate Reggie and
not be a Yankee-hater. But for all those who are in the opposition
party to begin with, Reggie is the icing on the cake.
Tampa Bay beats the Yanks! Woo-hoo!
This is the start of a great baseball day!
Up Next:
Two games featuring the Giants and
A's.
Facts about this season:
The A's have swept a four game series
with the $197 million Yankees.
The A's have swept two three game
series with the $173 million Red Sox.
The A's have swept a three game series
with the $95 million Dodgers.
The A's payroll this season is $55
million.
2:00
PM
The family has joined the baseball
viewing and the music is off. We are now in a kind of baseball
viewing heaven. Since there are two games on, whenever there is a
commercial on one, you can switch to the other: constant baseball
with very few interruptions. So it's back and forth now between the
Giants/Diamondbacks and the A's/Angels. Neither score is making me
particularly happy at this point, but we're only in the third inning
of each game.
3:00
PM
The scores are getting much better.
What a joy seeing the Diamondbacks come back and take the lead! And
the A's look like they may do the same.
4:30
PM
Oh good lord! The A's lost and the Giants have tied it in the ninth!
I'm too upset to continue. Dodgers versus the Pods in
about a half hour. More tomorrow.
Next: The Seventh Inning Stretch
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