Baseball's good, bad and ugly

Oh, man, I'm getting excited for the baseball season to start ... The days of watching afternoon games on WGN and Sunday night games on ESPN can't seem to come soon enough.

(How much I'm going to miss playing the game on Sunday afternoons remains to be seen, but at least I can take solace in the fact I went out on top.)

I get even more excited when I read stories like this optimistic one about the Cubs. Getting rid of Milton Bradley was the best move the Cubs could have made during the offseason.

* * *

So I read this morning that there's a plan to put a Toyota sign above the bleachers at Wrigley Field ...

Blech!

I'm not opposed to advertising at Wrigley Field ... as long as it's done tastefully. This proposed plan doesn't do that.

If the illustration in the Tribune story is an accurate depiction, and I believe it probably is, the sign would totally take away from the aesthetics of the surrounding archtecure that help make the ballpark so wonderful.

I'm with Jim Peters ...

"It's a vertical sign on a design that's horizontal. It's very obtrusive."

* * *

Meanwhile, down in St. Louis ...

A story surfaced this week that the Phillies had discussed trading Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols. I caught Buster Olney's mention of it on Sportscenter earlier this week, and even he looked uncomfortable reporting it, saying flat-out that the talks were internal and there was almost no likelihood the trade would become a reality ...

And yet, the Sportscenter anchor seemed to push him on it and asked additional questions when, clearly, the deal was probably nothing more than a random musing in the Phillies' executive hallway.

Never should have been reported, if you ask me. And it's stuff like this that gives us media types a bad reputation. The players involved have the right to be a little annoyed.

As Joe Posnanski wrote about the non-story:

The fact that this rumor got ANYWHERE gives you an idea about how hungry we in America are for dramatic trade talk, no matter how illogical. And this is as illogical as they get. Albert Pujols is the most popular athlete in St. Louis -- probably the most popular athlete in St. Louis since Stan Musial. If the Cardinals were bound by law to either a) Trade Pujols or b) Change the team name to the Budweisers and going with a drunken guy wearing a beer hat as their logo, they would lose fewer fans going with b).

The Brewers: Then & Now

... Kates and I went to the Brewers game last night. It was the second in my stretch of three games in seven days. Three different ballparks. Five different teams. But this was the one I had been looking forward to all summer long...

The game to mark the silver anniversary of the Brewers 1982 American League Championship and only World Series appearance ...

I beat it out of the office as soon as I could. We picked up our friend Tiffany and off we went, on a mission get our spot in the lines at the gate ...

See, I had learned yesterday morning that members of the 1982 team would be signing autographs in the stadium concourses for the first 45 minutes that gates were open. And one of the items I've yet to replace from our little burglarization is a 1988 Score card that Robin Yount had signed for me on top of the photo of his picture-perfect swing. I had re-purchased the card, now I just need the signature. So I grabbed it over my launch break, along with an extra Don Sutton card and an official baseball that I had lying around, just waiting for someone to sign ...

We made excellent time getting up to the park. Got parked. And speed-walked to the front of the ballpark. It was then that my heart sunk and I realized deep down: there would be no autographs for me today. The lines were so long -- at every entrance -- they twisted and turned around the statues and into the car lots. And we arrived about a half-hour before gates opened. The people at the front of the lines had to have been staked out since early afternoon ... But I held out hope.

The gates opened at 5:30, and of course our line was moving the slowest. It took Kates and I another five or 10 minutes before we actually passed through the doors. Kates went to get our seats, and I searched for the tail of the line to get Yount's autograph. It became obvious at this point that you'd have to pick one player and go for him, because you were likely going to spend all your time in that line. And even if you did manage to get that one autograph, the lines were so long for every player -- Simmons, Caldwell, Augustine, Moore, Money, you name 'em, they were at the front of long lines -- that you'd never get through another one.

I caught a glimpse of Robin as I passed by the front of his line ... and then the long, long walk to find the end of the line. And there it was, extending all the way down the first base side toward the outfield, up the ramp to the second level, and around the corner. In about 40 minutes of standing in the line -- surrounded by sweaty, smelly, large bodied men and women, under a low ceiling with very little ventilation -- I managed to get to the bottom of the ramp. And the security man came through, announcing that the autograph session had ended.

I should have gone for Don Sutton.

* * *

... I got my customary brat and Mountain Dew in the 1982 World Series souvenir cup, and then found Kates in our customary seats in section 217 ...

On the field, rows of chairs were being set up behind home plate, and people we assumed were family members and dignitiaries from the 1982 Brewers were starting to filter on the field. There also was a awkward, gray-haired man in a beige suit milling around the area, and it took us awhile, but after watching his mannerisms closely for several minutes, we confirmed it was indeed the commissioner himself, Bud Selig ...

Soon enough, the stadium was packed and the on-field ceremony was beginning. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio stepped to the podium and reminisced about being a New York resident watching the Brewers beat up on the Yankees in 1982. Bob Uecker spoke eloquently, as usual, in his description of the odd collection of the guys that made up the 1982 team. And Selig reflected on the joy the team brought to Milwaukee ...

Then Uecker retook the podium and it was time for the moment we'd all been waiting for: The introduction of the 1982 team ... Four of the players, including Cecil Cooper, could not attend the game because of responsibilities with other teams, Uecker told us. But once the introductions got rolling, the crowd didn't seem to mind ...

First, the coaching staff. Then the pitching rotation. Each of them took stands on the infield grass, forming an arch inside the base paths ...

With each player the cheers grew louder and louder. Jim Gantner. Moose Haas. Don Money. Ted Simmons. Ned Yost. Charlie Moore. Larry Hisle. By the time they announced Gorman Thomas, I was having so much fun my eyes were welling up. And then came the real rush, the final three. Rollie Fingers. Paul Molitor. Robin Yount.

As the ceremony came to a close, each of the players took the positions they played during that 1982 season. And Audrey Kuehn, the widow of the great manager Harvey, threw the ceremonial first pitch to Ted Simmons. Then they came off the field, throwing baseballs into the stands ...

And like that, it was all over. But it was worth every second.

* * *

If only the excitement could've lasted beyond the first inning ...

The stadium was packed. The crowd was electric. The original 1982 pennant flag was hanging by the scoreboard. The Brewers and the Cardinals were in their 1982 jerseys (The Brewers have been wearing them for much of the season, but can you imagine the Cardinals players going to their lockers in the afternoon, seeing that light blue V-neck and saying "We gotta wear this!?"). And with the Brewers trying to hold down first in front of the charging Cardinals, it was a playoff atmosphere. And, oh there were a lot of Cardinals fans in the seats last night ...

Chris Capuano hit Albert Pujols with a pitch in the first, but the Brewers got out of it without a run. Then in the bottom of the inning, Prince Fielder launched a solo homerun to the deepest part of the park (no doubt about it!) to put the Brew Crew on the board. Ryan Braun followed that with a single and then Geoff Jenkins smacked a homerun to nearly the exact same spot Fielder hit his (no doubt about that one either!).

But that was all we'd get ... from the Brewers ... for awhile.

Kip Wells retired 12 consectutive Brewers between the second and sixth innings, while the Cards put up two runs in the third and six runs in an ugly fifth inning, during which they sent 10 batters to the plate. Pujols beat out an infield single (though J.J. Hardy did makee a heckuva diving play just to get to the ball). Ryan Ludwick got hit by a pitch. Then two runs scored when Scott Rolen's chopper got past Ryan Braun at third base and bounced into left field ...

Now I love Ryan Braun. He's a pure hitter. And he's been a grrrrrreat addition to the Brewers lineup this season. I've got a pretty good feeling he has a, dare I say, Hall of Fame career ahead of him. But let me go on the record saying: I think he needs a little more work on his defense ... In the two or three games I've seen him play live and in person this year, I've been less than impressed with his abilities at third base. He's been lackadaisical at times, letting several balls that I thought he could have fielded roll into the outfield. And that ground ball he botched last night didn't appear to be hit that hard. But to his credit last night, he did make a couple plays that raised some eyebrows, including his snare of a lightening line drive down the third base line ...

The Cardinals added two more in the eighth and Braun, (better late than never, I guess) delighted the crowd with a homerun of his own in the bottom of the inning. Aaaaaaaaand the Cardinals added two more in the ninth.

Final score: Cardinals 12, Brewers 4.

I've been saying it all season long: Don't count out the Cardinals ... Now the Brewers are faltering, the Cubs are losing, and lo and behold, the Cardinals are 4 1/2 games out ...

Ay yay yay.

All-star snoozer

So I fell asleep during the homerun derby ... And it didn't help that our DVR was being finicky, either. I started watching the derby about an hour behind real-time, then the DVR cutout and I missed about an hour chunk in the middle ... But hey, glad to see Vladimir take the crown.

And I can't say the all-star game was any more exciting -- aside from Ichiro's inside-the-park home run and the whole supposed feud thing between Tony La Russa and Albert Pujols ...

Seriously. What was La Russa thinking not batting Pujols for a chance to turn the tables in the ninth!? Alfonso Soriano has just hit a two-run home run. You've got the bases loaded. And you've got one of the best hitters in baseball sitting on the bench ... and you go with Aaron Rowand with the bases loaded!?! Aaron Rowand!?!

And seriously. The National League is better than to let the American League stay unbeaten in 11 consecutive all-star games ...

Ugh.

More baseball reads ...
a Strong-arm tactics prevail in first half of season
a Ringolsby: Phillies lords of futile system
a All-Star Game still too World Serious
a It's Easy to Snub Bonds

Albert Pujols vs. Jeff Suppan

Albert Pujols Can't Bring Self To Hit Against Ex-Teammate Jeff Suppan

ST. LOUIS— Saying that he was "too overwhelmed" with memories of their 2006 World Series run, Albert Pujols couldn't bring himself to do...

Sunday reads

... A rainy Father's Day ...

... Kates and I visited her parents and took them out to IHOP for brunch ...

... and the rain canceled my baseball game, so I took advantage of my free time be falling asleep on the couch.

Here's a few of my favorite reads from the past week, or two ...

a Fiona Apple finds comfort on stage
a Dixie Chicks `Not Ready to Make Nice' ... Their new one is top-notch, and I couldn't be more happy with the fact their music is selling again, and the girls are getting the coverage they deserve, even for speaking their minds ...
a Sgt. Pepper Returns
a Superman: Gay Icon? Christ Figure?
a Bonds, Pujols Could Make for Quite a Show
a How things fell apart in Kansas City ... this article says otherwise, but I've always thought things started falling apart the day the Royals hired Allard Baird. ...Trading away Jermain Dye, Johnny Damon? Seriously.

Sunday reads

Some good reads from this week and beyond...

Baseball reads...
a Bonds conserving his anger, too
a Bonds, Pujols Could Make for Quite a Show
a Ten worst baseball teams of all time
a Excuses have kept Cubs, Baker busy

Movies reads...
a Critters Offer Consumer Retorts in 'Over the Hedge'
a Studios avoid critics’ pan of movies that click with fans

Music reads...
a The Wreckers Shine On Debut Album
a Dour Dixie Chicks ‘Taking the Long Way’ back
a Dixie Chicks find way outside of country

TV reads...
a Doing what it takes to steady their grip
a NBC Betting on Aaron Sorkin's New Drama
a TV Highs and Lows: Taking stock of the TV season's memorable and forgettable shows

Baseball thoughts ...

It's about time.

Today Major League Baseball players and owners agreed on a stiffer steroids policy that's comprised of a 50-game suspension for a first failed test, 100 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third.

Too bad it's too late. How and why it took Don Fehr and his boys so long to understand what owners were asking -- I will never understand. Yeah, I'm as passionate a baseball fan as the next -- but dang it, guys, this is the intergrity of the national pastime we were talking about. It's hallowed records, images and the influence players have on younger players ...

Jim Litke adds: Look at a timeline of events beginning with the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa home-run chase in 1998 and you'll find enough tips that were missed, bungled or purposely ignored to fill up another "Naked Gun" sequel. (more...)

Yes, I can be satisfied with the comfort of finally having a drug policy that MLB should have instituted three years ago when the first steroids testing came in to play. But I think I speak for most fans when I say I'm not sure I'll ever forget the sour taste of having to muddle through last year's clouded offseason, the now infmaous testimony to congress and the increased suspicion that followed.

* * *
As a Cubs fan I'm biased, so it's no surprise I shook my head today when I learned Derrek Lee did not win the NL MVP. But Albert Pujols!? He was the least deserving of all the top candidiates.

So he led an injury-laden Cardinals team to the playoffs ...

Bah! The Cardinals still had great pitching (Hello!? Chris Carpenter just won the NL Cy Young), on top of a batting lineup that was stacked even without Scott Rolen. And Pujols' numbers still weren't as superior as Lee's and Andruw Jones'.

Lee led all three in doubles (50), slugging percentage (.662) and batting average (.335) and he finished second with 46 homeruns. And without Lee's play, it's highly unlikely the Sosa-less Cubs would have been in postseason contention through August.

Meanwhile down in Atlanta, Jones led the league in homeruns (51) and RBIs (128) while leading a Braves team filled with rookies and helping them to yet another division title.

Sure, Pujols is undoubtedly and consistently one of the best players in baseball. But let's not give him a pitty MVP just because he's been second to Barry Bonds for all of his short career.

* * *
And finally today...
Orioles won't bring back Sosa, Palmeiro

uh, ya think? ... last month I called for the two to retire.

Going, going, gone

Wanna know what it’s like to do a whirlwind trip of Chicago museums in a span of a few hours? I’ll tell ya …

The assignment was for me and a photographer to attend today’s media preview of the new ‘Pompeii: Stories From an Eruption’ exhibit at the Field Museum for our entertainment section and then, while we’re down there -- and to save as much company time and money -- hit as many of the other hot exhibits as we could.

So I awoke this morning to the sound of my ‘Fuer Elise’ alarm clock at 5 a.m. and left the house an hour later, exiting our house under the early morning pallet of stars and full moon beginning to set over our garage. I met my photographer in the news office parking lot, we drove to the train station, boarded the train and then rode it to Chicago, tracing a perfectly still Lake Michigan as an orange sun rose over it …

Pompeii -- it’s a remarkable exhibit, full of valuable artifacts, jewelry and furniture buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., but unearthed only within the last century. The artifacts, illustrations and restored frescoes provide a glimpse into how established and wealthy the people of Popeii were. But what puts this exhibit over the top are the dramatic casts -- made by shooting plaster into the holes left behind when the volcanic ash and rock hardened and the corpses decomposed -- showing entire families crouched together in an attempt to shelter themselves from the storm of ash, or frozen in time as they tried to flee the devastation. Most of them, the exhibit told, died when ash filled their airways and prevented them from breathing …the exhibit is $19 and runs through March 26, 2006.

We left the Field onto a sunny pavilion that overlooks Lake Michigan and provides striking views of the colorful Chicago skyline and Millennium Park. The sight left us breathless for several seconds as we gazed at the view and then laughed in unison and remarked on the beauty of it all …

Moving on. To the Shedd and the ‘Crabs!’ exhibit -- which I took interest in mostly because of our hermit crab pets at home. At the Shedd, however, we’re talking more than 30 different species of crabs ranging from the size of your fingertip to the giant Japanese crabs that weigh about 40 pounds, look the size of tire and move with their 3-foot long legs. Amazing creatures …

A short cab ride later, we were at the Museum of Science & Industry to review the rebuilt and restored U-505 Submarine. Beginning in 2004, after years of being exposed outdoors to the harsh Chicago weather, the museum dug an underground a new, climate-controlled exhibit hall, lowered the giant sub into it and covered it with a roof. … The result is an astonishing new exhibit that transports patrons through a long, winding hallway of artifacts, archived newspapers, photos, films and finally, a balcony that provides a breathtaking view of the 33-foot high, 250-foot long, 750-ton ship… And for $5 more you can walk through the ship, ducking and dodging through every nook and cranny from the diesel engine room to the cramped sleeping quarters. …After the tour, walk the ground floor underneath the ship, take in more displays of artifacts taken from the captured German sub and several short films, including a fascinating account of how a Naval crew towed the sinking ship back to the U.S., conducting the highly classified operation without any protection in U-Boat infested waters …

Before we left the museum we also wanted to check out the Robots exhibit. But I say, unless you’re REALLY into robots, don’t bother. It was a bust … it’s two small rooms of glass-enclosed robot toys made during the ‘50s and ‘60s. The first few are pretty intriguing to look at, but they get pretty old pretty quick.

A train ride back and our assignment was complete …three museums, four exhibits, in four hours and a reminder of the unique experiences and people that make me want to continue practicing journalism. Not bad.

But my day wasn’t done …

70s degrees and sunny. A crisp, colorful, fall day made for the movies. The kind of day that begs you to cruise around in your car, listening to some eclectic music and holding your open palm outside the car window for the air to rush over it. … So that’s exactly what I did.

For the third night in a row I went down to the harbor and sat silently watching the orange moon rise beyond the lake. Trying to capture the scene as closely as I could with my camera, sucking in every bit of the fish-smelling water, crashing waves and cool breeze …

* * *

Just another reason to love baseball …

Game 5 of the NLCS ...

Last night, lying with Kates as the two of us count down the innings and watch the Astros come within two outs of their first-ever World Series, ironically 45 years to the day MLB officials met in Chicago and designated them as a franchise …

The crowd was so loud I wondered out loud how any of the Cardinals players could concentrate …

Then, one of my all-time favorite gamers, David Eckstein pokes a single through the left side …

Jimmy Edmonds walks …

And Albert Pujols absolutely crushes a pitch to left field. ‘Oh my goodness,’ was all I said when the ball hit the bat. You knew it was gone … Make that long gone, as it sailed over the Crawford boxes in left field to the part of the stadium where the retractable roof’s track meets the stadium supports. It was a shot that would have landed in the upper deck of most ballparks.

It was unblievable. And memorable.

The Astros fans were suddenly, and humorously, quiet. St. Louis wins the game 5-4 and lives to see another game, not to mention Busch Stadium, which is set to be demolished as soon as their season ends …

Talking baseball, the Cardinals win was huge. It puts them back in the exact situation they found themselves in last year when they came from being down three games to two, and sent Houston back home before losing to the Red Sox in the World Series. So I wouldn’t be surprised, as much as I found myself rooting for the Astros last night, if the Cardinals do it all over again …

Want more?

a So quiet, you could hear a pennant drop

a With one magical swing, Albert Pujols brought the dead back to life.

a Pujols's Homer Soars To Legendary Heights

* * *

Cleaning up ...

...Back and forth on the train today, I read my newest copy of Paste and was fascinated by the cover story about Cameron Crowe. ... I adore every one of his movies, the way music fuels his imagination and, at this point, can only dream and aspire to the type of artistry he exemplifies ... And I'm totally pumped to see 'Elizabethtown' now.

...I got this link emailed to me from a friend. You could spend hours playing this -- and make sure you have the volume on your computer turned up ...