March 2009

Can we save the World Baseball Classic?

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r the past 2 1/2 weeks, we've been treated to the international spectacle that is the World Baseball Classic.

It's become a cottage industry in America to royally rip this tournament to shreds because:

* The U.S. players are at a disadvantage because they're still in spring training.

* The U.S. players are getting hurt because they're not properly ready to play such high-level ball this early in the year.

Personally, I think a lot of the disdain for the tournament resides in the fact that Americans are upset that they're watching Korea vs. Japan go for the title in a tournament featuring baseball, allegedly America's national pastime. (It's not, by the way. There are many more things that Americans spend much more time doing, including watching non-baseball TV and surfing non-baseball Web sites.)

I'm not going to join the chorus of people who say it's time to dump the Classic. It builds goodwill around the world for the game of baseball. Plus, it's heartening to see the national pride on display.

We need to find a way to make this work while still making the mighty MLB players happy.

I'm no expert on the situation. (That's why I'm a blogger!!) And perhaps this has been discussed, but what about running this tournament after the MLB season ends in late October?

As far as I can tell, most Asian leagues, including Japan, run their seasons April to October, just like MLB. The Latin winter leagues typically go late October through December.

There are enough year-round, warm-weather spots and domed stadiums in the world to make this work no matter what time of year it is.

Nearly 75 percent of MLB players will have had all of October off since their teams weren't one of the eight that make it to the playoffs. So most will have a nice break after the regular season but will still be in fairly good shape to pick up the pace again for the WBC.

And if players do suffer some minor strains, sprains and bruises in the Classic, they'll have all winter to recover and won't be hindering their home team going into the season.

Now, yes, there is the NFL factor to contend with. At that point in the year, many Americans are in full football mode and couldn't care less about baseball. But I think if the WBC just avoids the Sunday and Monday games, it has a chance to work.

Don't miss 'Baseball's Golden Age'

I wouldn't call myself a huge baseball history buff. I really didn't start paying close attention to the game until the mid-1980. And even then, it's was mostly paying attention to the Cubs. So I'm well-versed in horrible baseball and epic flameouts in the playoffs. I also know the basics of the game before then: the Babe, Maris/Mantle, Hank Aaron, etc. But beyond that, I could stand to absorb a few more things.

Which is why I love the show "Baseball's Golden Age." The show debuted last summer, but I was reminded of its greatness again today after Comcast Sports Net Chicago showed it to fill time between the end of today's Cubs spring training game and the top of the hour.

In case you are not familiar, here's a description of the show from the Web site Fox Sports Net, which also shows it on their channels:

This is a show about the great players and teams of yesteryear. It's a show that looks back at a time in America when fathers and grandfathers passed down tales of their ball-playing heroes to wide-eyed sons and grandsons. Men whose legends were so large that the mere mention of their names -- Ruth, Cobb, Williams, Mays, Aaron -- invoked stories of incomparable feats and unparalleled abilities, always beginning with, "I remember when ..."

Each 30-minute show is an elegant, gritty compilation of remarkable rare shots and never-before-seen footage, culled from hundreds of hours of color film shot by the fans, the players' families and most importantly, the players themselves.

Woven throughout the collection of color videos from the 1920s-1960s are interviews with baseball luminaries, writers, broadcasters and former team employees all reliving baseball's simpler time: an innocent period of all-night train rides, day games, cigars in the stands and nickel hot dogs. A journey to the era when players spent their entire careers with one team, long before chartered jets, free agency and arbitration, a time when "playing for the love of the game" wasn't just a cliché.

The two things best aspects of this show are the restored footage and the narrator. It's so interesting to see Wrigley Field and other ballparks, not to mention the uniforms and players, back in the day. 

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The show is narrated by actor Alec Baldwin. I'm not sure how much of a baseball guy he is, but his unique delivery makes the story-telling that much more interesting.

One weird aspect of the show is the, as the Web site puts it, "interviews with baseball luminaries, writers, broadcasters and former team employees."

These are mostly very old men who wax philosophical about the players and the game from yesteryear. It's interesting to listen to, but somewhat uncomfortable to watch. For some reason, the producers insist on using very tight close-ups, unflattering lighting and no makeup to reveal every wrinkle blemish and all of the other plentiful imperfections on these old guys' faces. It's the one time I'm thankful I don't have a high-definition TV.

Nevertheless, the show is a can't-miss for anyone who wants to appreciate the guys your grandfathers and fathers told you about. 

I haven't heard yet if they are going to have new episodes of the show for this summer. Until then, you should set your DVR to pick up the reruns from last summer.

I also hear that Time Life will be selling last summer's 13 seasons on DVD later this spring.

My spring training state of mind

nOXR3sNn.jpgSo the Cubs were on the old No. 9 today. Len and Bob were on the air. Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and the gang were suited up in the blue pinstripes. I had the house all to myself with Cardinals-fan wife at a baby shower -- someone else's not her own! For the record.

I should have been basking in the awesomeness that is baseball. But I wasn't. It just didn't hold my attention. Instead, I found myself:

* Flipping on the PS2 to play a game of pretend baseball. I won!

* Watching the Illini choke in the Big Ten Tournament. They don't deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament!

* Searching the Internet for replacement parts for my gas grill. Found them! Hamburgers soon!

* Raking the leaves in the front yard. Yeah, I didn't get around to that last fall and, unfortunately, they were still there.

This is always the case for me during spring training. My mind just doesn't flip into baseball mode until Opening Day. 

Part of it is because it seems players and broadcasters don't take the games very seriously and will write them off as "only spring training" when people try to point out problems with the team that become apparent in March.

Ask Soriano why he's batting .148 or why Lee's batting .182 (like they were before today's game started), and you know what they'll say?

"I'm not worried. It's only spring training."

And when the broadcasters can't tell me the name of the guy wearing No. 94 who has come in to pinch run for the unidentified guy wearing No. 81, they laugh and say, "Well, that's spring training for you!"

Because of my attitude toward spring training games, I don't think I'll ever have the desire to go to Florida or Arizona to see them in person.

I'll just wait for the real thing in April, when that baseball-fanatic switch flips on in my brain.

Cubs ticket inflation hurts

The Cubs put tickets on sale this morning for their "Bleacher Box," "Dugout Box" and "Bullpen Box" seats. These are special seats added to Wrigley Field in recent years that claim to offer great views or some other amenity not available to those elsewhere in the ballpark.

* The Bleacher Box seats are located in the right-field corner. The only benefit from these seats, that I can determine, is that they have backs on them as opposed to the benches elsewhere in the bleachers. Frankly, these seem like a ripoff, especially since I can sit around the corner from the foul pole for less.

* The Dugout Box consists of seats in the first three rows right behind home plate and between the two dugouts. If you don't mind having a screen separating your seat from the field, these are the best seats in the house.

* The Bullpen Box includes the first three rows behind first base, adjacent to the visitors' dugout and immediately behind the visitors' bullpen. 

They're all great seats, with the exception of the Bleacher Boxes, in my opinion. But they sure have jacked up the prices for them this year.

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In 2007, I took my then-Cardinals-fan fiancee (now my Cardinals-fan wife) to a Cubs-Cards game and sat in the Bullpen Box. As you can tell by this no-zoom photo Cardinals-fan fiancee shot of Derrek Lee and Albert Pujols, we had a great view.

I paid a total of $310 for that pair of seats. A little excessive, yes.  But it's really one of those once-in-a-great-while ballpark experiences that a borderline-crazy fan will splurge on at least once.

I was nosing around cubs.com this morning to see what seats were available this year for a Chicago-St. Louis clash at Wrigley. 

Those same Bullpen Box seats? $500 a pair!! That's a 61 percent increase.

Now, thanks to the multi-tiered pricing system that I covered in a previous post, I could grab a pair of Dugout Box seats this year for "only" $160. But I'd have to see a midweek game against Colorado or Cincinnati in April, San Francisco or San Diego in May, or Houston in September.

I'll skip the ticket splurge this year and be content with my run-of-the-mill seats in the grandstand. Because really, there aren't any bad seats at Wrigley, unless you get stuck here.

Picture a Day: Wrigley signage

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The baseball purists will always tell you that one great thing about Wrigley Field is there is a very limited amount of permanent advertising signage in the ballpark. What they often fail to mention, however, is the growing amount of signage outside the ballpark that is still visible to people sitting in the stands.

Not that I mind either way. I've long been a proponent of some modest modernization to the old ball field. I'm sure I'll have more to say on that topic later this year after the communal experience of peeing into one of the infamous troughs in the men's room is re-burned into my mind.

These signs, which I photographed during a Cubs-Cards tilt last season, are a couple of the more famous ones that sit on a rooftop over the right-field wall.

The Miller folks are always changing the message on their sign, usually to coincide with the team that's in town that week. 

On this day, however, the ribbing backfired as I was forced to sit through a 12-6 Cardinals beat-down of the Cubs. (Carlos Zambrano, making his first start after his no-hitter, gave up a grand slam to Adam Kennedy. So yeah, the game was that bad.)

The sign in the lower left of the photo is a constant reminder of the Cubs' futility in the playoffs. The Lakeview Baseball Club has it posted on their building. In short, it keeps track of the number of years since the Cubs' last division title, N.L. pennant and World Series championship. Last year, those numbers were "00," "62" and "99."

The "AC" stands for "Anno Catuli," which is a Latin translation for "Year of the Cub." 

Looks like they'll be adding an extra digit to the sign this year so they can fit that "100" onto the end. Wonder if I'll ever see the AC 00 00 00 in my lifetime? 

Picture a Day: Remembering Jim Edmonds

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No, Jim Edmonds is not dead. But his short career as a Chicago Cub is. I recently ran across this photo that I took last year at a game and was reminded of the weird time it was for me and my Cardinals-fan wife seeing Jimmy wearing Cubbie blue, not to mention encountering Cubs fans wearing his number like this guy.

I know many Cardinals fans who simply loved him wearing red and wouldn't even look at the TV when he came to bat wearing blue. Vice versa for Cubs fans.

It just proves my point that the only thing baseball fans are really loyal toward is clothing color.

I'll admit that I finally accepted Edmonds when he started hitting home runs and helping the Cubs get to the playoffs. Lots of Cubs fans won't want to say it, but without Edmonds, September would have been a lot more stressful as the Cubs tried to hold onto first place.

I'll also admit I was a tad sad to see the Cubs quietly let him go over the winter. Sure, he's lost a step or two and isn't the power threat at the plate he used to be. But he'd be a good guy to have sitting on the bench when the starting outfielders start flaking out, like they are sure to do again this year.

It's also disappointing to see that Edmonds remains unsigned. He deserves a tryout somewhere. Let's just hope it's in the American League.



Baseball and the economy

mlbcom200.jpgBe sure to check out Mark Newman's article on MLB.com about how the economy is affecting fans' plans to attend baseball games this year.

It's an interesting read, partially because Mark quoted me. :-)

We connected via Twitter, which is a handy and simple-to-use social networking site. You can find me on Twitter at /jasonpiscia and Mark at /mlblogs.

It's weird. I'm work for a newspaper for a living and have quoted hundreds of people in stories I have written. But it's still a thrill for me to see a writer use something I have to say in an article of theirs.

So thanks Mark!

Cubs road trip is set! Is Detroit really that dangerous?

Each year, my friend Rob and I always hit the road to see the Cubs play a complete road series. We like to try and hit a ballpark we haven't visited before. This year, we're headed up to Detroit to catch the Tigers-Cubs series in June. Bought the tickets over the weekend.

Now, I've heard all the bad stereotypes about Detroit, notably the high crime rate. That has me initially looking in the suburbs for a hotel, with plans to drive into the city each day.

But is that necessary? Is staying within walking distance a good option? If anyone in the blogosphere would like to weigh in, I'd appreciate it. Also, I'd like to hear from some Detroit people for tips on what we should do and where we should eat when we're not at Comerica Park.

(Photo courtesy of Tigers Web site.)

Picture a Day: The basket and ivy

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This photo is from a tour of Wrigley in 2003. I'm standing in the bleachers, leaning over the edge and shooting down toward the warning track.

Picture a Day: Reflections on Arlington

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Today's Picture of the Day is from July 2003 when I took a baseball road trip to Texas. I started with a three-game Cubs series in Houston. Then I headed over to Arlington and took this photo of the Rangers' beautiful ballpark before catching their game against the Red Sox. 

The shortstops in that game? Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra. 

Also during that game on July 29, Boston's Bill Mueller became the only player in MLB history to hit a grand slam from each side of the plate. He added another solo shot for a total of 9 RBIs.

Picture a Day: Great seats, Mark Grace

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Welcome to "Picture a Day," where I choose an image I've taken over my many years of going to Cubs games at Wrigley Field and beyond.

Today's initial picture is from April 2000. I had some great seats behind the Cubs dugout and was thrilled to get this one of my all-time favorite Cub, Mark Grace. 

The old reliable pocket schedule

pocketsked.jpgI just came in from getting the U.S. mail and was happy to find a thick envelope from 1060 W. Addison St., Chicago, filled with a bunch of 2009 Cubs pocket schedules. Every year in February, I e-mail or call the Cubs to have them send me a handful.

This year's version, pictured on the left, includes a shot of the team celebrating after their division-clinching win last season.

And in a brilliant move of grassroots marketing, the Cubs also every year throw in the envelope a sticker bearing the team logo, pictured on right. I bet I have about 10 of these stuck in various places around the house. It's always a challenge to figure out where to put the new sticker without annoying my Cardinals-fan wife too much.

For all of the high-tech ways people keep track of sports these days -- instant updates on your computer or phone, the never-ending crawl on ESPN2 -- the old reliable pocket schedule still has a place in my life.

I keep one in my wallet, one in my desk drawer at work, one on the fridge and others scattered throughout the house.

When I need to know a game start time, what TV station the game will be on or what the giveaway will be at Wrigley when I go to a game, it's just a glance away. Much more convenient than firing up the computer or searching through the on-screen guide on my TV.

I do notice this year's pocket schedule is more colorful. The Cubs have categorized their home games as platinum, gold, silver and bronze, with each little calendar box on the schedule colored accordingly.

The four colors represent the four sets of ticket prices fans will be paying this year. Last year there were only three levels.

Of course, the highest-demand games -- Opening Day and those in the middle of the summer against the Cardinals, Brewers, White Sox and Mets -- are platinum, with bleacher seats, for example, going for $60 a pop.

Gold and silver games ($50 and $40, respectively, for that same bleacher seat) round out most of the rest of the games. There are a total of five bronze games, all midweek contests in April, May and September, where you can sit in the bleachers for $25.

Practically every team has moved to the multi-tiered pricing structure for seats. It makes economic sense, although it is discouraging to have to pay such a outrageous price just for my wife and me to see our favorite teams play each other on a warm day at Wrigley.

Thanks, spring training schedulers!

lost-logo.jpgThe Cubs and White Sox face off tomorrow night at 9 in the first televised spring training game for the Northsiders.

I'd like to thank the schedulers of this event for holding the game until this week's episode of "Lost" is complete.

Wonder if any Cubs players are fans of "Lost" ? 

We know they're fans of looking lost during games in October. Yeah, I'm still not completely over that. 

Maybe a win on TV tomorrow night will help start the healing process.

The never-ending wait for Cubs season tickets

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The Chicago Cubs finished the 2005 season 21 games behind the hated St. Louis Cardinals in the N.L. Central.

So I'm not sure what inspired me to send in a request to get on the Cubs' season ticket wait list. You'd think that would have happened during a playoff year when I was sickened by a serious case of Cubs fever.

Nevertheless, the above letter shows that I've been on the list since 2005. I started around No. 7500 on the list. Every so often, usually when I run across this letter in the junk drawer, I'll go online and check my status.

Last summer when I checked, I had moved up nearly 2,000 spaces to No. 5,558. I checked again today and was disappointed to find out I'm still at 5,558.

I predict I'll be old and gray when I finally get to the top of the list. And that's OK with me. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'd do if my number came up now.

I'm really not in the financial position right now to dump thousands of dollars into a season-ticket plan, or even part of a season-ticket plan. Plus, I live 200 miles from Chicago, so I probably wouldn't get to go to as many games as I would like.

I'm hoping that it'll be 7-10 years before I get the call. I'm predicting a little more disposable income and free time then.

Until then, I'll watch that waiting list rank number slowly but surely shrink.

Getting desperate to watch some baseball on TV, but not THAT desperate because of Comcast's unfairness

mlb_network_logo.jpgWe're five weeks and one day from the Cubs' opening day in Houston. It's beginning to be so close I can taste the Chicago-style hot dog. 

Was hoping to feed my fix today by watching some spring training games somewhere on my cable TV. I was disappointed to only find the hated White Sox take on the hated L.A. Dodgers. I made it work.

Now you're probably asking why I just don't flip on the brand new MLB Network. Well, I don't have it. 

And so begins my contribution to the the nation's second-most popular pastime: complaining about Comcast cable.

Comcast in the Springfield area has a group of channels called the "Sports and Entertainment" package. It has about 15 channels devoted almost exclusively to sports. It has the other three professional sports networks -- NFL, NBA and NHL -- included in there. It's available for $4 a month.

For a reason that no one at Comcast has been able to explain to me during my handful of telephone and e-mail conversations about this issue, the MLB Network is not included in this package.

Instead, Comcast has placed it in a "Digital Classic package," which has about 50 mostly non-sports-related channels that costs $13 a month.

Now, bad economy or not, I can't justify spending $13 a month on 50 channels I'm mostly not going to watch when the channel logically belongs in a package that only costs $4.

I caught a glimpse of the MLB Network last night when I was out to eat. I'd enjoy it, for sure. But adding an extra $13 to my already high cable bill doesn't seem right, especially since I only have time to spend time with cable TV on weekends.

And yeah, I could dump Comcast and go to satellite, but I'm not going to go through that hassle and get dishes bolted to my roof for one channel.

I hope that Comcast sees the errors of their way soon and fixes this.

</rant>

The teams I hate

Milwaukee Brewers Ryan Braun.jpgEvery baseball fan has a team or two or three that they cannot stand for whatever reason. For Cubs fans, the two most popular teams to hate are the Cardinals and the White Sox. The Cardinals because of the longstanding rivalry between the two franchises and the White Sox because of the intercity rivalry that MLB insists on renewing each year by forcing the two teams to face off in interleague play. That's another post for another day.

I've always tried to take my feelings of "hate" toward other teams in perspective. If I think about it, I don't really "hate" many players on the Cardinals and Sox. Albert Pujols is the greatest player in the game today. And although he's annoying as all get-out, A.J. Pierzynski is a heads-up ball player.

In recent years, as the rivalry between the Cubs and Brewers has been building, I've been less able to control my feelings of hate toward one Ryan Braun, left. He and other Brewers created an annoying habit of ripping their jerseys out of their pants and displaying their chests after an exciting win.

Poor sportsmanship, if you ask me. As Ryne Sandberg said during his Hall of Fame induction speech, if you do something good, act like you've done it before. Hit a home run? Put your head down and circle the bases.

What normally fuels my feelings of hate are ignorant fans of the opposing team. Now, I can take a good bit of ribbing about my Cubs; it's part of the lifetime contract we sign when they give us our blue ball caps in the maternity ward. But the people who are vulgar, won't shut up during a game and display that "in your face" attitude about the Cubs failures or their team's success really get on my nerves.

Brewers fans have been beginning to develop these annoying habits as well, no doubt something that's come about during the team's recent run of success.

As a result, I've added the Brewers to my list of "hate" teams.
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