View My Seats

At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

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Monday Morning Musings: Sleepless in Seattle Edition

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A Quick Trip Around the Bases

1B – Welcome back David Wright, we totally forgot you were missing. The Mets third baseman returned from the DL this weekend after nearly two months away from the game. In his first action back, he helped guide the Mets to a 7-6 win Friday night over the Florida Marlins with a couple clutch RBI doubles, and then allowed with a big home run Sunday afternoon. But the big question is, why wasn’t his return more publicized? Shouldn’t we all have been made more aware that a star like Wright is returning after two months away? I watched nearly 2/3 of the SNY telecast last Thursday when the Mets lost to the Cardinals and I can’t recall either Howie Rose or Ron Darling mentioning a single thing about Wright returning from the DL. You would think it would have been much bigger news. Maybe the strikeouts, and throwing errors, have added up and Mets fans no longer regard Wright, alongside Jose Reyes, as the savior of the organization. A nice ballplayer, but not a superstar.

2B – The Seattle Mariners have now lost 15 games in a row and yet some how maintain a higher winning percentage than the Baltimore Orioles. Adding insult to injury, Camden Yards had been dealing with 100% humidity this past week. It’s so hot and sticky out there that Boog Powell himself set up a dunk tank in front of his famous BBQ stand. Back to the Mariners for a second, how does a team with two stud arms like Michael Pineda and Felix Hernandez lose 15 games in a row? I don’t care how anemic the Mariners offense may be, those two studs are natural born streak busters.

3B – C’mon Pirates, don’t fail me now! Having officially jumped on the bandwagon a few weeks back, it was tough to watch the St. Louis Cardinals storm into sold out PNC Park and take 2 of  3 from the Pirates. However, thanks to some marvelous hustle by Pirate left fielder Xavier Paul, Pittsburgh was able to salvage Sunday’s affair in extra innings to remain in a tie a top the NL Central with the Cards and Milwaukee Brewers. Tough to handicap this race. On paper, this is as good a chance the Pirates have had to win a division in quite some time. What is a little concerning is that both St. Louis and Milwaukee are willing to trade for a few quality players before the deadline. But what about the Bucs? Pittsburgh hasn’t been in this position in quite some time, plus has a history of “thrifty” ownership, so it’s really hard to figure what they are going to do this week. With the NFL set to announce an end to the lockout, the Pirates must retain their mid-summer swagger or else PNC Park is going to revert back to an abandoned, broken down iron works while their fans flock to worship at the foot of Heinz Field.

HR – Congrats to Bert Blyleven, Pat Gillick, and Roberto Alomar on their inductions into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. My favorite Alomar story is where he would purposely bunt a ball foul down the third base line just so he could draw the infielders in a bit, which would then open up the left side of the diamond for one of his patented opposite field seeing eye singles. Those are the kind of stories you tell the grandchildren NOT the whole spitting in the face of an umpire incident which will unfortunately stay with Alomar the rest of his life.

view from Great American Ball Park courtesy of @JamenElbert

Avoid the Heat Dome By Burning Fossil Fuels

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Here’s a quick preview of some of the “major” sports on tv this weekend. A lot of folks love to whine about the lack of sporting events during these the dog days of summer but for me, I look at these next few weeks as an opportunity to catch up on some of the sports that would go otherwise overlooked if it weren’t for the fact that there was nothing else on. And when it’s as hot outside as it is right now, better to burn all sorts of fossil fuels by hovering in front of your AC alongside the incandescent glow of your HDTV than attempting to brave life under the heat dome. (I swear, somebody needs to trademark the phrase “Heat Dome” before Tom Cruise get’s his hands on it and makes it the title of his next Mission Impossible movie.)

Tour de France: If you happen to tune in to Versus this weekend, prepare to be absolutely blown away by the conditioning of these great cyclists. Of course, unless you’ve been living under a rock this past decade, you probably still have some doubts as to whether or not these athletes are cheating. And honestly, just how do these guys ride 200K up a series of high mountains and bounce back in time to do the same thing all over again the next day? You could pump my blood full of as much oxygen as you want and I’m still not coming anywhere close to the top of Alpe-d’Huez unless it is by helicopter.

RBC Canadian Open: Only for the few golf struck souls still fighting their way through Open Championship withdrawal. Or, if you happen to live in the lower 48 and are looking for a brief respite from theses excruciatingly hot/humid conditions, tune in and experience beautiful Vancouver complete with its temperatures  in the 70’s and humidity low enough that the horizon won’t look like it is covered in a waxy film.

MLB Baseball: And you thought you were close to overheating. The Mets and Cardinals completed their game Thursday in a little over 2 hours. It was so hot at Citi Field today that even Roy Halladay became a little dehydrated and he’s not even scheduled to start again until Sunday…in Philadelphia. Some of the marque matchups this weekend include White Sox/Indians, Tigers/Twins, and Braves/Reds. Safe to say that the AL Central and NL Wild Card races will become a bit clearer by Monday.

Women’s Professional Soccer: What, now that the World Cup is over you don’t care anymore? Unfortunate but certainly not unexpected.

view from Citi Field courtesy of @paulsidoti

 

32 Things We Learned While Not Thinking About the NFL Lockout

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If my twitter feed is correct, and Chris Mortensen is not intentionally misleading us all, then the NFL lockout is going to end on either Thursday or Friday. After roughly 131 days of modest suffering, a lot of us football fans have been able to dedicate much more space in our brains to other important pursuits. What follows is a quick list of 32 things, 32 being the # of NFL teams, we here at VMS learned while doing everything humanly possible to not look, listen, or touch anything having to do with either Roger Goodell or DeMaurice Smith.

#1 – how to properly restring a weed wacker.

#2 – that Rosie Larsen may or may not have been murdered.

#3 – and that we really don’t care anymore because we’re never ever ever going to watch another episode of The Killing on AMC.

#4 – to not just blindly trust the quality of a new show because it airs on the same network as Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Living Dead.

#5 – unless that network is HBO.

#6 – which in that case, check out Game of Thrones. Think Lord of the Rings with fewer hobbits and much more sex.

#7 – speaking of a royal family, we learned that Philippa is about to become a very popular name for newborn girls worldwide.

#8 – bridesmaids can wear white and wear it very well.

#9 – on the subject of politics, President Obama was in fact born in this country.

#10 – ignorance should not be construed as patriotism.

#11 – and if you are going to accuse somebody of something so potentially destructive you better have your facts straight. [Read more…]

Camden Chat and View My Seats: A Mutual Baltimore Orioles Admiration Society

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Stacey Long is the lead writer for Camden Chat, a baseball blog dedicated to the Baltimore Orioles and their fans. Just a few weeks ago, Camden Chat created a page on their site titled “View from Your Seat” where Orioles fans can send in pictures from the game. Being an Oriole fan, and Camden Chatter myself, I figured this was an appropriate time to ask Stacey about the new View from Your Seat section as well as see what she thinks about the current state of our beloved, and much maligned, Baltimore Orioles.

1 – Part of the reason sports blogs like Camden Chat are so successful is because they rely on fans/readers to drive and create content. What we do at VMS, and what you are doing with The View from Your Seat section, is allowing fans to create and share their authentic story. Why do you think so many fans are willing to share their views from the game w/ Camden Chat and how can this help create greater buzz for the Baltimore Orioles?

For baseball fans, there is no better place to be than at the ballpark. Maybe the Orioles are terrible at baseball, maybe you have a deadline coming up at work, but when you’re sitting in center field with a cold beer and some peanuts, life is good. Everyone loves being at the game, and sharing pictures from trips to various parks is a way to extend some of that happiness to others. I started the “View From Your Seat” feature just a few weeks ago and I’ve already gotten pictures from the upper deck, the lower deck, and a private suite at Camden Yards, from several minor league stadiums, and my favorite, from a baseball game being played by troops in Afghanistan.

I don’t know that it’ll create a greater buzz for the Orioles; it’s no secret that Oriole Park at Camden Yards is one of the most beautiful destinations in the baseball world. I do think it’ll help build the sense of community that Orioles fans feel with each other and maybe draw some new fans out of the woodwork and into the Camden Chat community.

2 – What’s your favorite view from OPACY? Mine would have to be section 4 of the Lower Reserve, very close to the right field foul pole and scoreboard. I like this section because the seats face the plate and you’re only a few exaggerated bounds away from BBQ heaven at Boog’s.

I have a few choice places to sit, but my absolute favorite is in the lower deck in left field (sections 80, 82, 84, 86). They’re not the closest to the infield, but you have a fantastic view of the entire field and it’s prime home run territory. Another great place to sit is right in front of the press box, sections 33, 35, 37, 39. You get that behind-home-plate feel without having to shell out for the really expensive tickets, plus you’re a bit higher up than the box seats so you have a great vantage point.

3 – Here’s one for you, would the Orioles be better off today if they had never moved out of Memorial Stadium and into Camden Yards? Totally ridiculous? Yes. But here’s part of my thinking, no OPACY means no tourist destination which means fewer fans from NY/Boston flooding the Inner Harbor which consequently leads to them obnoxiously drowning out O’s fans during the game. Of course, Baltimore restaurants/retail would probably disagree but I’m sure there are at least some old time Orioles fans that long for the days of limited parking and obstructed views.

Absolutely not. Camden Yards in the 1990s was an amazing place to see a baseball game with a full house every night, and even today I wouldn’t choose any other ballpark over it. Anyone who longs for Memorial Stadium is having their opinion skewed by nostalgia and while I’m sure we’d all love for the team playing at Camden Yards to be as good as some of the teams that played at Memorial Stadium, it’s silly to wish away an amazing ballpark.

As for the Yankees and Red Sox fans, one thing will drive them away (or at least shut them up) and that’s winning. It’s up to the Orioles.

4 – Moving forward, how do the Baltimore Orioles turn this thing around? My plan is to wait for realignment when they won’t have to face both the Yankees and Red Sox 20 times a season. But until that time….any suggestions?

The Orioles need to build a team that can compete. The AL East is the toughest division, no doubt, but the Orioles haven’t fielded a team that would compete in the AL Central in the last decade either. They need a stronger presence in the international market, smart drafts, and an end to stupid expensive contracts such as the ones given to Vladimir Guerrero and Michael Gonzalez. They need to stock their farm system and replenish it regularly and stop relying on every single one of their prospects to pan out in order to achieve success.

I’m in favor of a balanced schedule and even the recently suggested realignment that would create just one American League division and one National League division. That will help make the system fairer and more fun to watch, but the Orioles won’t have any more luck in that scenario than they do now unless they improve their team drastically.

views from Oriole Park at Camden Yards courtesy of @staceyMlong

Monday Musings: Abby Wambach and Moneyball Edition

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Before we delve into our weekly smattering of all things MLB, a few quick notes regarding the gut wrenching conclusion to an otherwise emotionally uplifting, expertly played 2011 Women’s World Cup. I feel for Abby Wambach the most. I couldn’t find anyone on the pitch who played with the same heart and determination as the USWNT striker. Her nose for the ball, literally, led to two of the most remarkable goals in American World Cup history, men’s or women’s. Wambach would be welcome on my pickup basketball team any day of the week. Here’s hoping there’s enough left in those 31 year old legs, and forehead, for her to return for one more World Cup run in 2015.

My absolute favorite part about the Women’s World Cup was that there did not seem to be anywhere near the same amount of on field theatrics/injury faking as there is with the men’s game. The single exception that I witnessed was the Brazilian player Erika whose performance in extra time against the Americans would have made Orson Welles proud. In general, there does not seem to be as much diving in the World Cup as say the English Premier League, or even worse, La Liga. It’s so bad in the Spanish League that I’m waiting for Paul Pierce to have his contract purchased by Barcelona.

Congrats once again to the USWNT on their fantastic run to the World Cup finals. Now onto a sport where there’s is no such thing as a fake injury, that is unless your name is Derek Jeter.

A Quick Trip Around the Bases

1B – All of America not named Milwaukee, Cincinnati, or St. Louis hopes the Pittsburgh Pirates will continue to hold on in the wide open NL Central. If there were ever a year for the Pirates to make a playoff since the days of Andy Van Slyke, Chico Lind, and a pre bobble head doll Barry Bonds, this is it. The only question is, will the Bucs be buyers or sellers at the trading deadline? Pittsburgh’s starting pitching has been surprisingly effective and what the team could really use moving froward is another bat. Would Carlos Pena from the Chicago Cubs suffice? Or how about Ryan Ludwick of the San Diego Padres? Whomever they target, it’s nice to know that the Pirates aren’t selling parts at the trading deadline.

2B – Speaking of the NL Central, how bad can it get for the Chicago Cubs? This disturbing picture from @bleedcubbieblue tells you all you need to know about the 2011 season on the Northside. With this many open seats, ownership could probably get away with a few midseason renovations to Wrigley Field as has been previously discussed by the likes of @pgammo. The bigger question raised by this photograph, where have all the Chicago hipsters gone? Usually the bleachers are good for at least a dozen Craig Hodges jersey’s and neon Ray-Ban sunglasses with croakies. Don’t tell me they have switched their allegiances to the White Sox. US Cellular Field is not the type of place for members of the counter culture, unless that independent thinking includes Harley Davidson motorcycles.

3B – Would a member of the AL Central please step up and claim your prize? Anybody? Going once, going twice…I guess we will just have to wait until the final week in September.  And who knows, the way these teams are beating each other up, the division winner may ultimately be only a game or two over .500. And is anyone really surprised by the resurgence of the Minnesota? Just goes to show you that you can never count out the Twins, especially as the summer heats up and the walleye on a stick at Target Field is becomes especially fresh. The Minnesota state government may stay shutdown but that doesn’t mean that the Twins won’t be able to prevail in the AL Central once again.

HR –Moneyball the movie looks terrible. And I know we’re not supposed to judge a film by its trailer – even though I do this all the time – but even still, how can this be an interesting movie? I begin with the casting of Brad Pitt as Oakland A’s GM, and famous sabermetrician, Billy Beane. I don’t know about you but I find Pitt much more convincing when he’s fly fishing in the streams of Montana than when he’s rebuilding a bargain basement franchise by using cutting edge statistical analysis. What, was Billy Bob Thornton not a physically attractive enough specimen to play the role Beane? Also, any movie that has Scott Hatteberg at the center of the story telling is bound for box office purgatory. Which is probably why I’ll go and see the movie the first weekend it comes out.