May 28

Stop Spitting in Baseball

Posted by Simon

We went to our third baseball game of the year on Saturday night and the Dodgers lost again. So far we are 0 - 3. Other than that it was a perfect evening it didn’t rain and the company, Lillian and Barbara, was very simpatico. Baseball is an anachronism. It moves slowly in a fast paced world and the players spit. I think it can survive the slow but I don’t know if it can survive the HD spitting.

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excellent seats

Nurit and I are planning a road trip to Arizona and Colorado in August to finish visiting all of the National League West ballparks. Maybe I’ll make a sign that says “Stop HD Spitting” or “Kobe Doesn’t Spit.” and try to get on TV.
Life is Good!

Mar 12

Spring Training

Posted by Simon

Nurit and I went to a spring training game and saw the Royals beat the Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park.

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We had excellent seats in the shade

It was our first spring training game ever and will definitely improve our performance as fans during the 2008 season.

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right behind home plate ($15.00each)

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It is an intimate park with excellent food vendors

The only discordant thing was a recruiting race car for the border patrol as we walked in. I wrote about the implications of this type of recruiting on my immigration blog.

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“Out to the ballpark”

taken by the new friend the usher

Oct 25

Red Sox

Posted by Simon

Why is the Boston baseball team called the Red Sox?

Based on their uniforms in the World Series they seem to be the Red Sleeves.

From what I can see none of them are wearing red socks but they are wearing red sleeves.

Go Figure

Sep 29

Baseball players spit. It is part of the ritual. They all used to chew tobacco so spitting was a requirement. Now it is part of the tradition and if it doesn’t change it will kill the game. Spitting when you are 50 or so feet away from someone at a game is not to gross. A player spitting during a radio broadcast of a game is hardly noted.

RFK Stadium

Spitting on TV is disgusting but not horrible. But spitting in a close up on HDTV is beyond disgusting and enters the realm of “please don’t make me watch.” The pictures are so vivid you can see the color of the spit. We don’t want to see this and people will tune out to avoid seeing it. By the way public spitting is against the law.

Can baseball save itself? Can players change a deep seated behavior? Think about this: basketball players in a much more strenuous sport don’t spit. It is time to stop spitting and save baseball.

Sep 25
UCLA
We were at the UCLA Football game and it was a bright sunny day so some people were knocking beach balls around. It is always an interesting exercise to watch and I asked an innocent question: “Who is it that plans “Oh we’re going to a football game lets stop at the 99 cent store and buy some beach balls.”?” This led to the next question: “How do they get them into the stadium?” To which I innocently answered, “They probably stuff them in their underwear.” It put the idea of hitting a beach ball in a whole new light.
UCLA
So next time a beach ball come in range think to yourself: “How long ago was this ball hiding in some mans crotch?” And then let someone else hit it.