“I wrote 63 songs this year. They’re all about Jeter.” Just kidding. The game we love, the players we hate, and more.
From Norman Mailer to Wendy Pepper — everything on film, TV, books, music, and snacks (shut up, raisins), plus the Girls’ Bike Club.
Helping public schools, winning prizes, sending a crazy lady in a tomato costume out in public.
Monologues, travelogues, fiction, and fart humor. And hens. Don’t forget the hens.
The Tomato Nation advice column addresses your questions on etiquette, grammar, romance, and pet misbehavior. Ask The Readers about books or fashion today!
Hey, Ron Washington: put the bullpen phone down, and back away…slowly.
Great pitching, miserable hitting, thrills and grievances. We’re here for you. (Not you, Joe Buck.)
I’ve (re-)discovered a few things over the course of the recent Days Of Rage. Some of them are great!
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a lonely girl in possession of a library card must be in want of a twin. The child who spends a lot of time in books also spends …
Can I just say (as a Rangers fan): Noooooooooooooo! There was definitely crying in baseball last night.
Woot! $5 for Pitch In/Jackie Robinson thanks to last night’s Yankees win! Poor Rangers didn’t know what hit them, did they? I was out to dinner during the first inning wearing my Yankees t-shirt in Rangers territory, and boy were they excited. I suspect that enthusiasm dissipated rather quickly in the 8th inning.
Bring on Game 2 AND the NLCS! Love October!
I’m on Cablevision, and am today verrrry happy that ‘my’ ALCS is on TBS this year. It seems the local Fox affiliate is strongarming the cable peeps for more dough, and have yanked Fox and My9 from the system. Who knows how long it’s gonna last? At least MLBN is doing day-after replays of all the games, so I won’t miss much (except, you know, the whole real-time NLCS. Stupid arguing billionaires.
Crazy-assed game last night. My favorite moment, however, was the shot of Nolan Ryan right after the go-ahead run scored. His expression, one of disbelief mixed with disdain, was priceless. Hee!
Dear Brad Lidge: I just painted my nails. Please do not make me bite them.
Also, is Brian Wilson’s beard an homage to this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_David_%28commune%29#Baseball_Team
Sars–I hope it is, ha! On that note, while watching the NY/TEX game, we finally discovered something Jeff Francouer does at a major league level: he grows a full and manly beard.
I’m up to $37 for my “bets”, awwww yeah.
As a Rangers fan, I’m actually feeling pretty good, considering. It’s now essentially a five game series that consists of: a) Cliff Lee in game “1” and potentially “5”, b) A.J. Burnett (hahaha), and c) the same Phil Hughes we just hammered. And for that matter CC has been pretty hittable recently as well.
Not counting any chickens, but feeling better than I could have imagined, oh, about 10:30 Friday night.
I would like to see Holland get the ball in game 4 rather than Hunter, though.
No, BWeez’s Octobeard is dyed black because they had told him before that his white shoes were too distracting and had to be at least “51% black,” so he decided to do the same for his beard.
Would someone please tell me why Joe Buck has a job in sports broadcasting? Flipped over to the Phillies last night to see Lincicum giving himself a manicure? Wha-HUH? And there’s dear Joe with an exposition of a pitcher’s hands! What I wouldn’t do for a mute button on that man! What a hack!
I like the part where you insult Joe Buck. Even my nephew (while watching the 2008 World Series) wanted to know, “why is that guy so mean to the Phillies?”
Manicure is a nice way to put it. Lincecum was CHEWING OFF A CALLOUS on his finger. As in: chew, chew, spit out dead skin. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
I did not need to see that shit.
I’ve said it before; it clearly needs saying again. DEAR ALEX RODRIGUEZ KEEP THE SEEDS IN YOUR MOUTH I’M-A BARF “LOVE” SARAH.
@Sars: One of the worst jobs in MLB has got to be “dude/tte who cleans the dugout.” Between the seeds and the Gatorade and the just-general-spitting… ew.
My biggest pet peeve in baseball is the “personal readjustments.” You’re on NATIONAL TELEVISION. Your mother does not need to see you handling your junk. And neither do I. At least do it in the dugout. It’s already filthy there.
@Bridget – Same about “personal readjustments.” I watched A. Rod do it the other day while the camera was in close range. NOT NECESSARY!
The sad thing about Joe Buck? My hatred of McCarver burns so hot that I find his inanity refreshing. Oy.
Also, Cliff Lee? I still love you, even though you left us for Seattle (see? didn’t we tell you it was the wrong move?). Please don’t let the Yankees buy you. Please.
My boss decided Brian Wilson’s attempting to embody Hagar the Horrible. Hee!
@Maria: Cliff did not go willingly to Seattle. He still talks about missing Philly (team and city) in interviews.
A Phils/Rangers Series would make this still-Cliff-loving Phillies fan very, very happy.
The worst for “personal readjustments” is Jim Thome. Good, Lord, man. Keep your hands. Away. From your crotch. FortheloveofPete.
That said, I liked last night’s Rangers/Yanks game better, though tonight gave me lots of pre-bedtime opportunities to teach my 3-year-old daughter how to root against the Yankees.
Dear MLB:
Touch your package again, any of you, and we’ll take it away from you.
Don’t think we can’t. The ‘Nation is mighty. Love,
The TN Populace
@Sandman – Brilliant! Let’s also put the kibosh on spitting at the plate. Keep it in the dugout!
Strike what I said above. I loooove tonight’s game. Tonight’s game is my new boyfriend.
I don’t have much of a vested interest in either series, except that I don’t much like the Yankees and have, for some reason, grown weary of the Phillies, so Rangers-Giants is what I’m pulling for. I’d also like to ask, after watching the pre-game for Game 5 of the NLCS this evening, What the HELL happened to Mitch Williams?!? This is The Wild Thing? He looks like an investment banker, or some other respectable white collar worker, which is the last thing anyone from that ’93 Phillies team–still one of my favorites, if only for the characters on it–should look like. Kruk may have ditched the mullet long ago, but he still looks like he belongs on that team, probably because his physique is roughly the same as it was 17(!) years ago, which isn’t exactly a compliment, but still. Mich Williams? Not so much.
Conversation last night:
Me: See, doesn’t it look like Patti Smith is pitching for the Giants?
Husband: …only in the face, and shoulders, and hair.
A couple of links for you Giants fans…
My friend Rosen on postseason agony: http://blog.musicvstheater.com/2010/10/22/baseball/
Marchman on how the Giants keep winning: http://www.slate.com/id/2272083?wpisrc=newsletter
Congrats, Rangers and Rangers fans!
My Texas Rangers are headed to sunny California to start their first World Series! I’m putting in my call for the Rangers in 5.
(I’m considering selling my engagement ring to get tickets!)
My congrats to the San Francisco Giants for a well-played series. My Phillies just couldn’t get the scores. *sniff, sniff* But that pitcher Sanchez should take a chill pill! WTF? Why call Utley out like that? I throw harder than that when I chuck my shoe at my brother!
I now throw my hat in with the Rangers, who have waited almost as long as Philadelphia to not suck, for the duration of the series. Best of luck, Cliff Lee! Yeah, that’s crow we’re eating, deep fried with a side of onion rings!