View My Seats

At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

Photo Credit for Header: Alex Foucre-Stimes

View from Spring Training: 2011 Chicago White Sox

by

2011 Chicago White Sox

NFL Equivalent – New York Jets: This is really only because of the similarities between Jets head coach Rex Ryan and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. Both are loud, bombastic, braggadocios leaders whose words/actions tend to overshadow the accomplishments of their teams. Chicago has at least won a World Series under Guillen while Ryan’s act in New York cannot last unless the Jets eventually come through on some of his bold pronouncements.  Ozzie is an active member of twitter, @OzzieGuillen, and we need to start a campaign to try and get Rex Ryan to join the Twittesphere. What would his handle be?

Google Search: Free agent acquisition Adam Dunn makes perfect sense for the White Sox. With the addition of Dunn, Chicago significantly added to their payroll and seems to be going all in in 2011. One thing that could stand in their way is the health of SP Jake Peavy who is rehabbing after surgery to repair a detached latissimus dorsi. This is the technical term for “he tore off the muscle that connects his shoulder and back”. When you put it this way doesn’t sound so nice does it?

Famous Movie Quote: You get out there, and the stands are full and everybody’s cheerin’. It’s like everybody in the world come to see you. And inside of that there’s the players, they’re yakkin’ it up. The pitcher throws and you look for that pill… suddenly there’s nothing else in the ballpark but you and it. Sometimes, when you feel right, there’s a groove there, and the bat just eases into it and meets that ball. When the bat meets that ball and you feel that ball just give, you know it’s going to go a long way. Damn, if you don’t feel like you’re going to live forever. – John Cusack from Eight Men Out

Underrated quote from and underrated movie. Can you imagine the type of impact the Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919 would have if it happened in 2011? I guess MLB players today would never throw a World Series like the Black Sox did because players today make way too much money to risk giving it all away. Even still, it does make you wonder…..2011 prediction: 88-74, 2nd place AL Central

view from Phoenix Municipal Stadium courtesy of @chipcali

View from Spring Training: 2011 St. Louis Cardinals

by

2011 St. Louis Cardinals

NFL Equivalent – Green Bay Packers: No, the St. Louis Cardinals are not VMS pick to win the 2011 World Series. However, the Redbirds do share many characteristics with the Packers, their brethren from the Midwest. Much like GB, the Cardinals boast some of the friendliest, most loyal, and knowledgeable fans in all professional sports.  Cardinals/Packers fans do not carry themselves with the same hardened, acerbic grittiness as say Red Sox or Yankess fans but their passion rivals any other fan base in the country. Both franchises have a history of winning as well.

Google Search: Two stories this offseason: 1) Albert Pujols’ contract talks 2) Adam Wainwright’s arm injury. The Pujols contract situation – he enters 2011 in the final year of his current deal with the Cardinals – threatens to dominate the back pages of most St. Louis newspapers. It’s been said that he is looking for ARod type money, somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million a season, which clearly the mid market Cardinals cannot afford to pay him. So, if he’s really looking for that sort of cash, he will have to look to the Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, or (gulp) Cubs. Here’s hoping Albert chooses to stay in St. Louis, it’s much better for baseball that way. Wainwright, along with Chris Carpenter – from New Hampshire – have been the workhorses of a very stable Cardinal starting rotation. With Wainwright now shelved for the season after Tommy John surgery, who does St. Louis turn to to provide them with those same innings/quality starts?

Famous Movie Quote: Look, we’re gonna spend half the night driving around the Hills looking for this one party and you’re going to say it sucks and we’re all gonna leave and then we’re gonna go look for this other party. But all the parties and all the bars, they all suck. I spend half the night talking to some girl who’s looking around the room to see if there’s somebody else who’s more important she should be talking to. And it’s like I’m supposed to be all happy ’cause she’s wearing a backpack, you know? And half of them are just nasty skanks who wouldn’t be nothing except they’re surrounded by a bunch of drunken horny assholes. And I’m gonna tell you something T. Are you listening? – Jon Favreau from Swingers

This quote is for Albert Pujols who while searching for that $30 million a year will no doubt be wined and dined by all types of suitors, some attractive – Cubs – some downright nasty – Royals. In the end, will he come to his senses and realize that the chase is never as satisfying as the one you already love, who also happens to love you? The 2011 Cardinals will have another good year but the Pujols contract talks will be the loudest topic in St. Louis since the Blues signed Wayne Gretzky. 2011 prediction: 85-77, 2nd place NL Central

view from Space Coast Stadium courtesy of @athalonathlete

View from Spring Training: 2011 Toronto Blue Jays

by

2011 Toronto Blue Jays

NFL Equivalent – Cincinnati Bengals: Are OF Vernon Wells and OF Alex Rios Carson Palmer?  On the heels of very productive offensive seasons, the Toronto front office not only gave Wells and Rios the keys to the franchise, to the tune of more than $200 million, they also served them with a roadmap to nowhere.  Now Wells (Anaheim) and Rios (Chicago AL) are roaming the outfields elsewhere in the AL, and the only thing the Jays have to show for it are a string of 4th place finishes in the ruthless AL East.  In a similar case of misread production, the Bengals and their franchise QB Palmer definitely need counseling, with Carson recently threatening retirement.

Google Search: New Manager, former Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, had a fairly busy offseason.  Early on, he shipped rising SP Shawn Marcum to the Brewers for highly-touted INF Brett Lawrie.  Toronto also added three veteran RPs in Octavio Dotel, John Rauch, and Frank Francisco, who is unfortunately best known for throwing a folding chair at a group of fans in Arlington.  Under the radar during this tumultuous AL East winter, the Jays also brought in speedy OF Rajai Davis to lead off and veteran slugging LF Juan Rivera to protect last year’s AL home run champ, OF Jose Bautista.

Famous Movie Quote: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.“ – Chief Martin Doyle, Jaws.

DH Adam Lind and 2B Aaron Hill had career years in 2009.  Ridiculous numbers.  Bautista hit 54 home runs last year.  Out of nowhere.  If the three of them each have career years in 2011, the Blue Jays will still be the Orca to the Yankees’ and Red Sox’s Jaws.  The AL East is simply contested on two planes: the penthouse, cohabited by the Yanks and Sox, and the super’s apartment, shared by the Jays, Rays, and Orioles.  To equate this disparity to one of my favorite NBA stories, we have to look back to All-Star Weekend, 1988.   Larry Bird, perhaps the most confident shooter of all time and two-time defending 3-point contest champ, walked into the locker room at the old Chicago Stadium and, without even really looking at any of his shootout competitors, asked to the ether: “Hiya, fellas!  Which one of you is finishing second?!”  At the risk of underlining the obvious, Basketball Jesus made it 3-in-a-row that night.  2011 prediction: 77 – 85; 5th Place AL East

view from Bright House Stadium courtesy of @michelleerin

View from Spring Training: 2011 Colorado Rockies

by

2011 Colorado Rockies

NFL Equivalent – Miami Dolphins: My favorite NFL player growing up was Dan Marino. He was the consummate fantasy football quarterback before fantasy football ever existed. If the Dolphins had any a semblance of a defense I am convinced Marino would have won at least two Super Bowls in the 80s/90s. He also had great hair! I mention this only because Troy Tulowitzki, the star SS for the Colorado Rockies, pursued a similar look this past season. Call it the “crullet” – curly haired mullet. Another similarity between these two franchises…their home climates can, and often do, affect the outcome of a game.  Between the humidity/heat of South Florida and the altitude of the Rocky Mts, opposing teams need to prepare, both physically and psychologically, days in advance before playing in Miami or Colorado.

Google Search: Speaking of Tulowitzki, the Rockies inked their franchise player to a seven year $134 million extension in November, which means he’ll be making an average of $20 million until he’s 35 years old.  That equates to nearly a quarter of Colorado’s mid market payroll. I haven’t watched “Tulo” play on a regular basis but it seems like a lot of money to tie up in a single player these days. If Tulowitzki is worth $20 million to Colorado, than Albert Pujols has got to be worth at least $30 million to the Cardinals, Cubs, or Yomiuri Giants.

Famous Movie Quote: That John Denver’s full of shit, man. – Jim Carrey from Dumb and Dumber

Dumb and Dumber and Anchorman may be the two most quotable movies of my lifetime. (All apologies to Wedding Crashers, Blazing Saddles, and Dazed and Confused.) As far as I am concerned, Dumb and Dumber II never happened, kind of like Godfather III and the last 3 Star Wars movies. (Thanks for ruining my childhood George Lucas!) The Colorado Rockies are hoping for a strong follow up to their 83-79 campaign in 2010. With Tulo, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Carlos Gonzalez, this team is built to win now. 2011 prediction: 90-72, 1st place NL West

view from Corbett Field courtesy of @desertsamurai31

View from Spring Training: 2011 Detroit Tigers

by

2011 Detroit Tigers

NFL Equivalent – Oakland Raiders: I can remember a time back in the early to mid 90’s, when the LA/Oakland Raiders were the epitome of urban/gangsta rap brashness. After all, a prerequisite for membership in NWA was whether or not you could pull off the Raiders cap. Al Davis may be the face of the franchise today, but back then, Ice Cube represented Raider nation best. For some reason I feel like at one time or another the Tigers hat carried a similar street cred. Call it the Eminem effect. Or maybe it chalk it up to one Magnum P.I.

Google Search: After Detroit won a bidding war for the services of prized free agent catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez, all was well in Tigertown, that was until Miguel Cabrera was arrested for DUI in February.  Will the arrest affect Cabrera’s 2011 performance? Can his Tiger teammates trust him when it counts? Is anyone else worried that Cabrera has to deal with some bigger issues than just baseball?

Famous Movie Quote: I love poetry, and a glass of scotch, and, of course, my friend Baxter here. – Ron Burgundy Anchorman

Scotch is one of those drinks that I say I enjoy but really don’t. It seems like most of my friends enjoy a nice glass after dinner, but me? Unless you load it up with a bundle of ice cubes I simply can’t stomach the raw masculinity. Miguel Cabrera doesn’t seem to have the same problem. What was most alarming to me about his DUI arrest is not that he was inebriated but that he was drinking scotch. Doesn’t Florida seem a little warm for scotch? I feel like scotch is a winter drink reserved for the ski lodges of British Columbia. 2011 prediction: 93-69, 1st place AL Central

view from Space Coast Stadium courtesy of @davextreme