33 posts tagged “baseball”
To give credit where credit is due, the reason I chose this week's clip is because it's fresh in my mind after bold as love included it on her blog recently. It is one of my favorite X-Files moments, thanks in large part to the reality that it within the context of one of my favorite X-Files episodes, "The Unnatural."
Granted, the joke (the likes of which were quite common on X-Files) about Mulder's addiction to pornography is certainly less amusing in light of David Duchovny's real life struggle.
**Updated with the promised picture of Brian**
1. Being done with my philosophy papers
Philosophy is great. I love deep thoughts and wrestling with questions about truth and knowing and language and such.
Nonetheless, I am still overwhelmingly glad to be done with my philosophy class.
Perhaps in a few weeks, or maybe months, I will be glad to look back and say I took philosophy with Carl Raschke, but at this moment I feel nothing but pure, unadulterated relief that I will never have to do it again... well, not Philosophical Inquiry II, I still need to take Philosophical Inquiry I.
For now, being done is the best part of my week.
2. Major League Baseball
It's been a great season thus far. This year had one of the most eventful trade seasons in recent memory, every division race outside of the AL West is still up for grabs, and the Rays are proving to be the real deal. Oh yeah, and the Cubs have a really exciting team which has as good a chance as anyone at taking a charge for October glory. The Cubs!!
On my currently neglected baseball blog, I made playoff picks back in March or April. As a bonus to this five things post, I am going to pick the teams who would be in the playoffs if my heart got to decide... although these picks also have to be possible, no Indians in the playoffs type stuff. In the NL, my dream playoff picture this year would be the Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers and Brewers. In the AL it would be the Rays, Twins, Angels and Yankees (although if Joba is out for too long this one moves into the impossible category).
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
Anyway, watching it continued to confirm my love for Scorcese, and helped my continually growing appreciation for DiCaprio, but what it really made clear to me is that Daniel Day-Lewis has to be on the short list of greatest actors of our generation. Actually, you wouldn't get any argument from me if you were to call him the greatest actor ever. He's that good.
I was watching DVD bonus features, and there were stories about being on set with him. I guess it can be pretty interesting because he really becomes his characters. When he would run into Liam Neeson in the weight room he would only call him "Priest" (Neeson's character in the film). He also always used his accent. What's it like actually going to work every day with Bill the Butcher?
The man is a freak of nature, and is electric on the screen. Perhaps you could quote Queen lyrics and refer to him as "dynamite with a laser beam." However you refer to him, I think he's amazing! As far as actors go, he's #1 in my heart... with a bullet.
4. Penelope
Anyway, perhaps this is a step in that direction.
Emily and I wanted to watch a movie the other night, and we didn't want to watch anything too heavy. So, Emily picked Penelope, and I didn't stop her. I'm glad I didn't.
I'm going to be honest. I really enjoyed this movie. It had it's flaws, sure, but most movies do.
Of course, the message was good and something people should watch with their daughters (and sons). There was plenty of fodder for discussion even though it's a super-light film.
Anyway, the film was imaginative, they did a great job creating a modern-day fable, and the acting was tight as well. Christina Ricci made clear that she is seriously underrated, in more ways than one. And James McAvoy proved he could pull off charming as well as anyone else in the business, while he and Peter Dinklage both are moving into the category of actors who I enjoy enough that I would watch a movie I otherwise wouldn't watch just to see their performance.
5. Brian might be moving to Seattle.
If I had the time to do '5 Things' in recent weeks, Brian's visit to Seattle would have been included, but alas, I didn't have the time. That's ok though, because it is looking like there is a strong chance that all my coaxing and cajoling might actually prove to have been worth it. Brian just might be moving to Seattle. Huzzah!
This is still a developing story, so stay tuned for more.
I know I've been absent lately. If anyone desperately needs to feel better about their writing by reading some of mine head on over to my baseball blog where I've begun my predictions for this coming season with the National League East.
I'm really tired of being in Seattle and seeing so many Red Sox hats. I feel like it is my duty as a baseball fan to lend fact to a few myths about just who the Red Sox really are, but first, a few disclaimers:
1. While I am a Yankees fan, I am in no way advocating that anyone should be Yankees fans. If I weren't raised to love the Yankees I would hate the Yankees too (although I guarantee I would still respect the hell out of men like Joe Torre and Derek Jeter). By all means, continue rooting against the Yankees, I would expect nothing less. What I am arguing against is the foolish, misinformed notion that the Red Sox are somehow the anti-Yankees and represent the best of what baseball is all about.
2. If you are a true Red Sox fan then this post is in no way directed at you. If you have always been a Red Sox fan, if you lived through the trials and tribulations of being a member of the Fenway Faithful before 2004 then cheer on for your beloved Red Sox and enjoy this new golden age in New England sports that was born from the ashes of decades of futility.
I am writing this because I continue to be deeply troubled that people have taken their hatred of the Yankees so far that it has somehow taken on the form of this odd passion for all things Red Sox. How can a baseball fan root against a scrappy, young team with a lower payroll like the Indians unless they had a genuine love for the team competing against them. Even as a Yankees fan, as saddened as I was that the Joe Torre era was ending in New York, it is hard to feel too badly that it was the Indians who advanced. We're talking about a low payroll team with exciting young talent like Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona, a great team to watch.
Now, the reason I am so aggravated is because most of the new Red Sox fans who have popped up over the last 5-10 years have done so because they can articulate a long list of grievances about how the Yankees are horrible for the sport of baseball. I'll save an argument as to how woefully untrue this idea is for another time, mostly because while this may be untrue there is still something fun and even good about rooting for the team with fewer resources against the team with money to spend. The proverbial David vs. Goliath. I just get so tired of hearing people talk about the Red Sox as if they're the little engine that could, a scrappy, low budget team getting by on a wing and a prayer. If that is the way you are going to look at it then it is important to keep in mind that it is a state of the art $143 million wing we are talking about.
I hold no hard feelings when the Yankees play teams like the Indians or Diamondbacks in the playoffs and the whole country roots against them, it makes perfect sense. The issue is that if this is the reason you are rooting for the Red Sox you're horribly mistaken. Take out that long list of arguments against the Yankees and you'll find every one of them to be true about the Red Sox.
A few examples, some common complaints about the Yankees that lead people into the arms of the Sox:
1. They spend so much damned money: It's true. You're right. The Yankees spend a whole damned lot of money. While estimates change depending on where you look the Yankees spent (at least) somewhere around $190 Million dollars on their 2007 team. This is the most in the majors. However, if that is your reason for hating the Yankees then you should hate the Red Sox as well. The Cleveland Indians spent somewhere around $62 million on their entire team while the Red Sox spent $52 million just for permission to talk to Dice-K last year. The Sox spent more to bring Dice-K to Fenway than all but 6 other teams spent on their entire payroll. And while the Yankees payroll has continued to shrink a bit each year as Brian Cashman argues for building from within (a fact that may no longer be true if they sign Arod to an extension), the Red Sox payroll has bloated significantly each year to stay competitive. As far as their World Series foes are concerned, the Rockies spent around $55 million on their entire team. David vs. Goliath indeed. You can add the Indians and the Rockies payrolls together and they still don't add up to what the Red Sox are paying, you can even throw in, say, the Nationals, Devil Rays, Pirates or Marlins if you'd like and still have breathing room between the combined payroll of those three teams and that of the Sox.
2. I'm just tired of them winning all the time: Hmm, I'd have to say I am surprised that this one still has legs. Granted, the Yankees have made the playoffs every year since 1995, but they haven't won the World Series in 7 years. How many decades will the "I'm just tired of them winning all the time" keep going? But anyway, if the Red Sox can overcome the red hot Rockies to win the World Series it will be their 2nd Championship in 4 years. With a core of great young talent like Papelbon and Pedroia the Red Sox look poised to be a force in Major League Baseball for some time to come, will the nation now turn against the Red Sox because they are "just tired of them winning all the time"? Somehow I find it unlikely based on how things have gone thus far.
3. Yankees fans are just dicks!: Again, this is pretty true. I know quite a few Yankees fans that even I don't like being around when the topic of baseball comes up. However, this is in no way exclusive to the Yankees. Last week Red Sox fans were throwing rocks and bottles at police officers for trying to maintain peace after the ALCS ended (mind you, this was in Boston so the officers were most probably Red Sox fans themselves). When it comes right down to it, it isn't that Yankees fans are dicks, it's that sports fans in general are dicks. This is something I may blog about soon, a post entitled something along the lines of "Hey jackass, you're not on the team!" People often have the unhealthy tendency to associate their favorite team a bit too closely with their own ego, and at times this can get pretty ugly. It just got easier to see this ugliness in Yankees fans because during the dynasty it was easier to see the fans getting arrogant in their team's success. I challenge anyone to take in a game at Fenway as a neutral observer and not come away realizing that there is a tremendous amount of arrogance amongst Red Sox Nation, an arrogance that will only grow as success continues, it's the nature of the beast. Even the kind people of Denver turned quite ugly when I was wearing the wrong hat on the street following a Yankee loss in Colorado (although in this case I would point out that there was complete silence until the game was over).
4. The Red Sox are the underdogs: This one is flat out untrue. Even playing the Yankees over the last 4 or 5 years the teams have been remarkably evenly matched. One of the most exciting things about Yankees/Sox games lately have been that neither team has a distinctive edge overall, they are so closely matched. And when it comes to teams like the Indians and the Rockies the idea of the Sox being underdogs is laughable. The Red Sox are literally 2-1 favorites over the Rockies. Underdogs my ass.
The moral of the story is that, if you feel it is your duty as a baseball fan to hate the Yankees, then my friend it is also your duty as a baseball fan to hate the Red Sox. They spend and make a buttload of cash, they outspend their nearest competitors (outside the Yankees) by a considerable margin, they are expected to win, they win often. If you are going to continue to stay on the Red Sox bandwagon (and again, this is not directed to long-time Sox fans) you must at least acknowledge the double standard at play. All of the things people hate about the Yankees are true about the Sox, the Sox just get a free pass.
So, for what it means to the game, and for what it means to sports, all those without legitimate ties to the Red Sox should feel compelled to give their hearts, at least for the next week and a half, to a 14 year old team from Denver, Colorado.
The upset would be significant. David would defeat the mighty Goliath.
Go Rockies!
With Heroes and The Office back for new seasons NBC has established itself a special place in my heart. The two shows can provide me with a lovely mental vacation from the stresses, pressures, and personal disturbance at school. If that weren't enough, October is quickly approaching, and with it, playoff baseball. I certainly won't be able to complain about a lack of distractions from the work I'm supposed to be doing.
School is great by the way. The readings have been enjoyable for the most part, my reading/midrash group is great, and I seem to have really drawn the right straw in terms of my practicum group as well. I love my classes, the other students, my professors, and the school experience in general thus far. I'm also finding a hope for the redemption of my story that is not part of why I came here to MHGS at all. I'm discovering a courage and hope that I didn't expect at all, a purely accidental (at least on my part) benefit of selecting Mars Hill Grad School. It gives me the feeling that somebody has better ideas than I do in terms of what choices I should make and why I should make them. Perhaps (and I'm not one who normally goes around quoting The Matrix) there can be "a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."
Speaking of baseball, I have been encouraged by my wife Emily and my friend Tim to go along with my initial instinct and point out that after most others had scoffed at my argument that, as bad as things looked, the Cubs and Yankees would still have a say in who won their respective divisions, I was right after all. Both teams had fallen way out of first place and I'll admit even I started to have my doubts. I am the one who made the horrible selection of the A's to win the AL West, which to be honest I realized was foolish as soon as I made the pick, it was just dumb. But thanks to the Indians staying strong, the Yankees making enough of a showing in the East to draw to within 2 games, and the Cubs finally playing like many expected them to all along, I don't look like a complete idiot. Sadly the Mets collapse looks like it will hurt my final tally of picking this years playoff teams. If they make it, I'll be 6 for 8, if not, 5 for 8 really hurts my percentage.
Well, enough procrastinating, time to get back to some school work.
So far I dig my new life. Classes haven't yet begun so it is impossible for me to really know what life will be like during the school year, but sitting in a little coffeehouse at the top of mighty Queen Anne hill doing school work is a pretty nice way to go about my business. While classes don't start until Tuesday the school work is officially underway. So it is with one of the two articles I need to read and take notes on out of the way that I decided to offer up another trip post, as promised.
When I left off we had arrived safely in Los Angeles. We already had tickets to head to an Angels game on our first full day in LA, so with a little parking help from W we took in our very first California baseball game.
The Game: As far as the game is concerned I'll have to do my best to remember, we're talking about close to two months of time since the event and the game was unspectacular. I do remember that it was the second time this summer that we were able to see Jered Weaver (who along with playing for the Angels is also on my fantasy team, the Spooky Mulders). For the second straight time this summer I was excited to see him pitch, and for the second straight time this summer he was disappointingly ineffective.
In the end the Angels lost the game, but since they now have a commanding lead in their division with a very tired Mariner's team as their only competition the loss seems to have mattered little.
Strengths: Anaheim loves their Angels, especially a certain gentleman known as Vlad. The man with the most violent swing in baseball, which while it probably is doing a number on his joints and spine which Mr. Guerrero will pay for in retirement, it currently does even more damage to opposing pitcher's ERAs. I've heard that one of the great experiences in professional baseball history was being in Yankee Stadium when Mickey Mantle stepped to bat. Mickey was universally loved by all Yankee fans, he wasn't a mere man stepping to bat, but a god. From what I hear the atmosphere for his at bats was electric, regardless of situation or even outcome. Now I'm not saying that it is the same when Vlad steps to bat, but in our age of skepticism and steroids, I think it is as close as we can get. Like Jeter in New York and Big Papi in Boston, it doesn't matter what the situation is, when Vlad steps into the batter's box, Angel Stadium goes crazy. It is fun to watch, and was probably the greatest strength the park had to offer.
Weaknesses: To me, the ballpark felt unspectacular. They tried, from the huge helmets at the home plate entrance to the large, remarkably fake waterfall beyond center field left over from the team's Disney owned days, there were certainly things to see. I suppose I just felt like the sights were forced and poorly executed. Like Great American in Cinci, it scores points for originality, while failing by taking attention away from the game itself. The best ballparks are extensions of the game of baseball, they feel like baseball to the senses. In my opinion this keeps Angel Stadium from being anything special. So while Angel Stadium isn't one of those horrible ballparks like Shea, Tropicana or Rogers' Centre, it doesn't break out of the middle of the pack much like other mediocre parks such as Great American and U.S. Cellular.
Another stadium in the books. It's funny to think that not long ago I hadn't even made it a third of the way to my goal of seeing all 30 Major League stadiums, and now I've made it past half way. Coors was another crown jewel for the MLB to show off to all who appreciate a great ballpark.
The Game
As far as the game was concerned, it was the beginning of this long string of losing for the Yankees. They had started playing a bit more like everyone expected them to play at the start of the year, even better than that, but now they have fallen back into their losing ways, and it looks like this will be a sad end to the Joe Torre era.
Strengths
Coors was another beautiful ballpark. Simple. Classy. Easy on the eyes all around.
The scoreboard was probably my favorite part. The home plate entrance was beautiful as well. All of it was great when it comes down to it. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking as far as the strengths are concerned.
Weaknesses
The only weakness was really the fans. It wouldn't have been too bad if they just hated the Yankees and rode the Yankee fans the whole game, everyone does that.
I'm used to the same unoriginal whining from the Yankee-haters. “Yankees Suck!” Oh, wow, did you come up with that one all on your own? Amazing. Has anyone ever told you that you should do stand up. You're downright hilarious. Next you'll be making some hilarious joke about the Yankees payroll. You should be in movies.
The reason the Rockies fans were particularly lame at this contest was that first off none of them showed up. They were outnumbered by of ratio of somewhere around 4 to 1 at least. So, rather than getting mad at their fellow fans for staying home, they got mad at us for showing up. This in an of itself wouldn't have been so bad. The tipping point was that the fans were silent heading into the game. You would think the Rockies fans were on their way to an execution. They wouldn't make eye contact, they sat silently in their seats. However once the victory was assured they wouldn't shut up. Emily and I enjoyed laughing at how ridiculous it all was, but it was pretty spineless as far as sports fans go. Yankees and Red Sox fans have for the most part earned their reputation for being obnoxious, they often take their loyalty to their team WAY too far, but at least they are consistent.
One Rockies fan who shouted at me for wearing a Yankees hat FROM HIS CAR after the game told me I'd probably never been to New York. When I informed him I lived there his brilliant response was “What the hell are you doing in Colorado?!?” I was too dumbfounded to respond. Apparently the guy hadn't heard of the concept of a vacation. The same driver also threatened to sick his dog on another Yankee fan.
In fairness I am assuming these were the worst of the Rockies fans, that there are tons who are as classy and honor the game as much as their ballpark does. It was much more expensive than most Rockies games with the Premium Ticket Prices, so many probably stayed home because of that, but the ones who were at this game were downright nuts.
But, enough about the fans, here are the beautiful stadium pictures:
I'm hesitant to write another blog about our trip so soon. I'm going to anyway because if I don't take advantage of the internet access/time combination I have been without for the last portion of the trip I am going to fall even farther behind than I already am. I just worry that after the two I wrote yesterday that if I add another post or two today it will get overwhelming and no one will actually read it. I suppose it is a risk I am just going to have to take.
We did finally make it into St. Louis the day after the whole tire issue and as it would turn out, Busch Stadium was well worth the wait. We got into the city around 11 in the morning (we always get there early to take in the stadium properly and with a 1:00 start that makes 11 the order of the day). It was a dreary morning, the overcast sky making it clear that rain was on its way. Our hope was simply that we could get into the park, get some pictures in, take care of the official visit checklist and get in as much game as possible before the heavens decided it was time to open up. It worked out because, while we did have to sit in 5 innings of rain, we also got the whole game in, completed the checklist, and got enough sun at the end of the game to safely take the camera out of the bag. So, anyway, on with the show:
The Game:
Two words: Albert. Pujols.
He was the guy I couldn't wait to see, and he didn't disappoint. He put on a one man show with not one, but two home runs!
Other than that the game was fairly uneventful, aside from the fact that the Cardinals actually beat the Angels, which is no small feat. I'm sure there was more to the game but this is what happens when you don't get a chance to blog about a game until over a week after the fact.
I also remember the fact that it was the day of the year called Pooches in the Park in St. Louis where people sitting in a particular section are allowed to bring their dogs with them to the stadium. It was interesting to say the least, especially when all the dog owners were allowed to parade around the warning track to show off their Cardinal's gear sporting pups.
So, suffice it to say that the real story was Pujols being the man and providing all the fireworks one could ask for.
The Strengths:
I'll tell you what folks, even with clouds hiding the sun the new Busch Stadium is still a sight to behold for a baseball fan. Now, for the sake of fairness, I'll put Wrigley in a category of its own for the purposes of any ranking I decide to do; but with that in mind, the new Busch is (in my opinion) the most beautiful park we've seen on the trip. They just did a fantastic job with every aspect of this park's construction. I loved it!
I would really have to list every part of the park in order to address all its strengths, so instead I'll list a few of my favorites and let the pictures do the rest. The scoreboard was fantastic, combining the aesthetics with the practical aspects flawlessly. The brick that is used for the entire park is beautiful. And best of all the view from home plate is literally spellbinding.
The Weaknesses:
Our seats kind of sucked, apparently we got the wrong seats from stub hub and didn't realize until we got to our seats. The only reason I list that as a weakness is because that means there are in fact sucky seats, but when you sell out so often anyway, business is business.
So, as you may have noticed, Cincinnati was a bit out of the way in regards to getting to the West Coast on this adventure. The backtracking came as a result of me noticing that Cincinnati would be in town at just the right time for us to swing backwards on your journey on the way to St. Louis.
I'm not really sure what would bring me to Cincinnati again so it was nice to throw that ballpark into the trip so that there wasn't an unvisited ballpark hovering there in the middle of the country taunting me like the fly between the window and the screen that you could get rid of if you really wanted to but can never find the motivation. Okay, so it wouldn't really be like that at all, but getting there would complete that warm nougat center of the country for me, and I was all about that.
Anyway, as another bonus to hitting Cincinnati, we realized that on the trip from Cinci to St. Louis it wouldn't take us too far out of the way to make our way to Metropolis, Illinois (by far one of the most wonderfully ridiculous places in the country). For those who aren't "in the know," Metropolis is the fictional home of Superman in the comic books, movies, radio shows, etc. The city is based on Chicago in much the same way that Batman's Gotham City is based on New York. That being said, I suppose it makes some sense for the creation of a real Metropolis somewhere in Illinois to honor the Man of Steel's tip of the cap to Chi-town (although believe me when I tell you that Metropolis is very far from Chicago in many, many ways).
Metropolis is basically a very small American town that happens to also have a huge Superman statue at its center, right next to the County Court House. They also have a Superman store with a museum inside that we didn't get the chance to pay the money to visit. The entire town is Superman related, aside from a few odds and ends that for some reason named themselves after other Superheroes, even some from other Comic Book Universe's (i.e. Thor's Gym).
While planning our trip several months ago we realized that there was another bonus in our detour through the city of residence of Krypton's Last Son, namely, we would be passing through right smack in the middle of the Superman Celebration. "What the hell is the Superman Celebration?" you ask. Well, my friend, I've been there and I still have no idea. Basically it is the Metropolis town fair/carnival, but since the city draws its identity from Superman, so does the fair.
For the celebration they bring in comic book artists and writers that have notably worked on Superman, they bring in actors and actresses who have appeared in Superman related shows and movies, and they also have regular fair related activities throughout the three day event.
We witnessed things that were... interesting, to say the least. It turns out there are a lot of adults who don't need much of an excuse to dress up like their favorite Superhero. Now, don't get me wrong, if I could pull off looking badass dressed as Batman, Wolverine, or even Gambit, you'd probably rarely see me leaving my house dressed as anything else. These people on the other hand wouldn't fall into the 'pulling it off' category. There was a girl dressed as Supergirl who was attractive enough to make it work, another girl who succeeded as Poison Ivy, and a guy the town paid to be Superman for the weekend who had the muscle mass and higher quality costume required to look serviceable, but after that it just got silly. As a word of wisdom to all my friends out there in VOX-land, if you're a guy, about 5'11", weigh 85 pounds soaking wet, and have a head of mousy brown hair, throwing on a $40 Superman costume and a black wig with a forehead curl is NOT going to look cool, EVER! Also, if you are a fat Latino guy, the Green Arrow is not the costume for you. There was even a fat Superman there, but I suppose they were all having fun and they seemed to take the picture requests of the masses as a sign of celebrity rather than mockery, so everyone wins right?
In the end we were only in town for an hour and a half or so, and we were both glad we stopped in. It was certainly one of those opportunities that I am glad we seized if only for the originality of the whole thing. Rather than spend any more time explaining the whole thing to you, I'll just hook you up with the pictures. Enjoy!
The 5th game in our trip was the last of the two Chicago ballparks, U.S. Cellular Field. With the Yankees in town to see the White Sox it worked out that it was the very first time I have ever seen the Yankees play on the road. Before this game all my experiences with the Yankees were home in the Bronx so this was the first time I watched a game as the enemy. It worked out that it was a good call to let it happen in Chicago because as it would turn out no one really goes to White Sox games, so there were as many Yankee fans there as White Sox fans, as happens in many cities. Actually, come to think of it, with the exception of the North Side of Chicago where everyone seems to support the Cubbies, most cities don't take much effort to find Yankees and Red Sox hats in abundance. Even as a Yankee fan it gets a little old. But I digress, so, on with the show.
The Game:
With the Yankees playing as poorly as they have been so far this season it was a little daunting going into someone else's home stadium where the home fans could take every opportunity to make our time at the game miserable. I had been feeling optimistic about the season for the first time in quite a while after A-Rod's huge homer off of Papelbon, but the night before had seen Desalvo fall apart and the night we would be there was going to be Double A pitcher Tyler Clippard face off against the dominating lefty Mark Buerhle. Between having a rookie in the game facing off against a lefty after the futility the Yankees have displayed against lefties so far this year it looked like it might not be the best night to show up in Yankee gear, but far be it from us to abandon our team when the going gets rough. I was a Yankee fan in the 80s and I'm a Knicks fan now so I'm no stranger to sports related misery.
As it would turn out, our fears were for nothing. Tyler Clippard outpitched his more experienced counterpart and the Yankees rolled as the offense continues to bounce back into its proper form. The Yankee bullpen did try to make things interesting a few times but when Mo came in during the 9th he looked more like last year's Mo than this year's version.
Also, almost as enjoyable as the game was the fact that since the Yankees were the visiting team they were the ones who had to use the field second for batting practice, etc., so they were out on the field for fans who arrived early. It was great, lots of good pictues thanks to Emily who has had camera duties for the last two games.
It did get very cold, it was 48 degrees when we left the park, but as far as the game was concerned the night was an enjoyable one.
Strengths:
Well, Emily suggested that under strengths for U.S. Cellular I simply type: *crickets chirping* She isn't far off. The park isn't ugly, so it has that going for it. It doesn't give you the feeling you are watching the game in a toilet. You don't get dripped on by pipes and there isn't strange paper mache apple that pops out of a hat in CF. So, one strength is that it isn't Shea Stadium.
I suppose bringing over the windmill theme on the scoreboard form old Comiskey (the White Sox former stadium) is a nice touch for White Sox fans, so we can count the scoreboard as a strength as well, although rather than improve on it they just made it a bit more boring.
All I know is that if you are going to tear down a ballpark that was built in 1910 you should do a better job on the new one than this.
Weaknesses:
For the most part the stadium is just flat out boring. Emily mentioned while she was taking pictures that she felt like she took three pictures of the park itself and didn't have anything else to shoot. There just isn't much for the eyes to feast on like the other four parks we've been to.
And we're not talking about the less is more philosophy of PNC Park, we're talking about the less is definitely less philosophy that perhaps was inspired as a rejection of the 80's since the park opened in '91.
The seats were also remarkably uncomfortable. There is an odd shape to the seats themselves that make it painful to stay seated by the 3rd inning or so. By the end of the game your legs and back are begging for the final out. I would say it was my imagination and stadium seats are always uncomfortable if it weren't for the fact that this was our 5th stadium in the last week and a half.
As it would turn out, the comparison between Wrigley and U.S. Cellular isn't very favorable for the guys on the South Side. Wrigley will always be the tourist attraction, the Mecca for baseball stadium aficionados, while U.S. Cellular is doomed to be Chicago's other ballpark.
Here are the pictures:
And, the Yankees:
Finally, some game action (I know, tons of pictures):
