Angell in the Press Box
“Sports writers weren’t supposed to be fans. I would write in the first person, about my own emotions, which you were not supposed to do.” In this 2006 Sports Illustrated interview, New Yorker baseball essayist and fiction editor Roger Angell captures not only why I treasure his writing but also why I was inspired to start a baseball blog. A former sportswriter myself, I am now just a fan who likes to write about my favorite sport (as Tom Seaver once called it, “the greatest game in the world.”) Angell’s books and essays have slowed their regularity as he enter his 90s. And so it was with great enthusiasm that I received an email from my mother-in-law in Philadelphia who had just read his latest contribution, fully one day...
Read MoreThanksgiving: Only the Butterball Remains
Thanksgiving commences that time of the year for American baseball lovers when there really is no baseball. The combination of tryptophan in my butterball and the lack of a fastball on my television conspire to knock me out. The World Series is a memory, The Hawaiian Baseball League is now defunct and the Arizona Fall League played its last game last weekend. Even award season for the MLB is nearly over with Pujols and Mauer named MVPs. Sure, for diehards, the the Puerto Rican League has just begun, the Mexican, Dominican and Venezuelan Leagues are in full-swing. And the Carribean Series looms out in February. Several years ago the boredom got to a few fans, and they tragically used turkeys in a baseball game. One sportswriter wondered if baseball might extend to...
Read MoreWelcome the Walla Walla Sweets
For those of you following the story of a Cape Cod League blogger (me) who became an owner in a summer collegiate baseball team, today we announced our new endeavor as the Walla Walla Sweets of the West Coast League. The Sweets honor one of Walla Walla’s best known exports — the sweet onion. Wine is another “sweet” export from W2.
Read MoreSelig and Costas Match Wits
I’d encourage you to watch Bob Costas’ interview of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. The banter back and forth is both substantive and entertaining. I think they are a pretty good match for one another. In the absence of good competition in baseball these days this may be the best there is. I was particularly interested in the idea that MLB may move to a Worldwide Draft rather than just a U.S. player draft. This has implications for the Cape League and other summer leagues in my view. Other topics include steroids. Pete Rose, the World Baseball Classic, instant replay, etc. If you watch the interview or read about it let us know what you...
Read MoreWhat makes a great all-star game?
What are the attributes of a great all-star game in baseball? For any baseball league on the planet, the all-star format has become as expected as the end-of-season championship series. It is now a staple of the game. Leagues use the all-star game to motivate players, attract attention for the players as well as for the league and to generate excitement (if not dollars) from fans. And so what makes for a great all-star game? That is the question I pondered Saturday night after the Arizona Fall League’s 2009 Rising Stars game in Surprise, Arizona. This year’s was the fourth all-star showcase. I would argue the criteria for a great all-stars game are pretty straightforward: 1. The best player talent 2. A great fan experience 3. Something to play for 4. ...
Read More