Stuff My Brain Says #85

Pander: (v) To provide gratification for others' desires (merriam-webster.com)

Placate: (v) To soothe or mollify, especially by concessions; to appease (merriam-webster.com)

At this year's Home Opener (July 24, 2020), the Cleveland Indians wore one of their road jerseys instead of the traditional white or red jerseys. It's a beautiful jersey, with CLEVELAND emblazoned across the front. They did this to make a statement: "We care."

The club has been in talks concerning renaming the team from the "Indians" to something "less offensive". (Last year was the first year their uniforms did not display the Chief Wahoo mascot.) Along with the Washington Redskins (who are also changing their name), the owners of the Indians are looking to do the "right thing".

I've written about the name change before in reference to the removal of Chief Wahoo. You can browse my blog (or simply search "Wahoo" and "My Humble But Accurate Opinion" in your favorite browser) to read in more detail how I feel about THAT.

Here's my point: Changing the name of the team, a name that has never been used to disparage, but to honor, does NOTHING to right a wrong. As the definitions above tell you, it is another example of placating; a simple gesture to hopefully show how in touch we are, and how sorry we are, for the bad things we white people have done, without actually doing anything of real value.

C'mon already. Who are you kidding? You want to do right? Forget renaming teams. GIVE THEM THEIR LAND BACK.

But hey, that would be going too far, won't it?

(This post was inspired by a tweet from @ScottJohnson: https://twitter.com/scottjohnson/status/1285803540309348352?s=19)

©Emittravel 2020

Maybe the Game Isn’t Broken After All

For us fans of baseball, Spring Training marks the beginning of one of the most exciting seasons of the year (“officially”, Spring doesn’t arrive here in Cleveland until after the first Indians home game . . . ) As far as Major League Baseball (MLB) is concerned, the game is losing its excitement with the public and all kinds of changes are in the works to bring that excitement back.

A 20-second pitch clock has been in the works, along with a three batter per pitcher change. Those, amongst other rumors, are ideas that are supposed to make the game more thrilling. Of course, if you measure baseball against the last Super Bowl, a rain delay is more thrilling. Another item of interest is the destiny of several players stuck in free agency limbo. A favorite of mine, Bryce Harper, formerly of the Washington Nationals, is still waiting for a contract with a new team. The Philadelphia Phillies are currently the front runner in the pursuit of adding a locker with Harper’s name on it. Lest you think I’m just rambling here, there is a connection. According to an article by Todd Zolecki (Phils being deliberate in pursuit of Harper - February 23, 2019), Scott Boras, Harper’s manager, is looking to “obliterate Manny Machado’s 10-year, $300 million contract … and Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million contract”. Look at those numbers for a second. Okay, now take another look at those numbers. Starting to feel a bit uneasy? Maybe the MLB is wrong. Baseball is not losing its thrill. Maybe baseball is pricing itself out of business. My wife and I recently finished watching the Ken Burns’ “Baseball” documentary. (Warning: it is awesome, but will make you very angry at times.) One of the big issues in baseball’s history was the fact that the owners made all the money, and the players got bupkis. It was one of the factors that resulted in the 1919 World Series scandal where a number of players from the Chicago White Sox threw games to make extra money from gamblers. Times have changed. Players are no longer, for the most part, struggling financially. But as it is with many things, the pendulum has swung the other way. Oh, the owners aren’t struggling now, but the money many players make make most CEOs jealous. (Funny, people complain when a CEO makes a lot of money providing jobs and helping the company be successful, but don’t seem to mind when millions are dumped upon those who entertain us.) For us regular folk, earning that many dollars in our lifetimes makes no cents. If we took every dollar earned (talking gross, not even net) and did not spend a single dime of it (including food, shelter, clothing - you know, basics), we would still not see those kinds of numbers by 65 years old. I understand that a ballplayer’s career is limited, so earning as much as possible during those years is only wise. But the end of a baseball career does not mean the end of earned income during their remaining years. Maybe the reason people aren’t filling the stadium seats has nothing to do with the game on the field, but the cost to go there and enjoy the game. Unless you want a nosebleed seat, you may find yourself paying out the nose. Add to that parking, feeding your family, and a souvenir or two, and a day at the park can be a once in summer event. Instead of changing the game itself, maybe it’s time to seriously look at the salaries. Maybe it’s time that a little fat be trimmed. And, in case you think that cutting salaries would mean the end of the game, you need to spend time at some farm team games. Those guys understand making bupkis and STILL play the game. Let’s make “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” more of a financial possibility, and the excitement of the game will take care of itself. © Emittravel 2019

What’s Your Hurry?

Today (20180429) was sports Sunday here in Cleveland. The Cavaliers played the Pacers in Game 7 of their playoff series, and the Indians played the Mariners in Game 4 of their 4-game series. The Cavaliers pulled a win - taking the series, and the Indians pulled a loss - losing their series 1-4 (good thing it’s only April baseball!)

Recently, much has come from the MLB concerning the speed of the game. Apparently, some think baseball is too slow, and the MLB wants to try different things to speed it up. I’ve written a few times about this already (here and here, for example), so I won’t spend too much time on it in this post. I do want to expand a bit on a Twitter post I wrote recently (follow me at @nocturnecsh):

“00:30 left on the Cavs/Pacers clock. Went to the bathroom. Came back to 00:21. & a clock will speed up #baseball? Who are you kidding @MLB?”

I went to the BATHROOM and only NINE seconds had lapsed on the clock. That’s basketball for you.

Apparently a clock does little to speed the game.

I’m an all-things time related junkie. Favorite time related movie? “Memento”. Favorite time related book? That’s a toss up between H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine” and the Bible. Favorite time related album? Alan Parsons "The Time Machine". Favorite time related sport? That’s easy: BASEBALL! And not because it is “slow”.

When you put yourself in a position to focus solely on the game in front of you, time slows down - and not in a negative way. When the pitcher is on the mound and is looking to his catcher for the best pitch to befuddle the batter, who is watching the pitcher to see what pitch he will throw to try and befuddle him, time ssslllooowwwwsss down. The tension is palpable. Nothing else matters in that moment.

Sure, in football there are all of these guys running around the field when the ball is snapped. In basketball nobody ever STOPS running (except for the clock: which never seems to run at all). But in baseball, the moments before the action are just as important as the moments after the pitch/swing. And you can’t rush that.

Maybe the problem isn’t the pace of the game. It’s us.

It’s amazing to me that people today drive with one hand on the wheel, one holding their smartphone, and both eyes looking anywhere but through the windshield, and yet they drive so close to the car in front of them they think that they have all the time in the world to hit the breaks and come to a stop if needed.

I’m not sure about the state you live in, but here in Ohio we have a little thing called “assured clear distance”. If you ever rear end someone, you’ve been cited for it. It is the failure to maintain an appropriate distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. “Back in my day” (that’s old man speak) that would be one car length for every TEN miles an hour - on dry pavement with clear visibility. The distance is to be greater on wet pavement, more for snow-covered pavement, and at night. This is to allow sufficient time for the person behind to come to a complete stop and not hit the car in front. And yet, people drive right on your bumper like that will allow them to get to their destination that much faster.

So, maybe it’s WE that need to slow down, rather than rush the game of baseball. Because as far as a sport is concerned, baseball is pretty much perfect as is.

© Emittravel 2018

Find a Team and Hang On

I had posted a comment concerning the recent ALCS (American League Championship Series) game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, and a good friend of mine responded on Facebook with “I can’t believe you can bear to watch these games!”

Where our Indians flag was displayed

That friend is not anti-baseball. She is a hurt Cleveland Indians fan. And being that the Indians lost the American League Division Series in Game Five against the New York Yankees (which means, for those of you not really following baseball, that their season is OVER), watching any baseball game without Chief Wahoo represented is a bit painful.

Where it is displayed now . . . 

I can’t blame her. But I responded, “I’m rooting for the Astros to beat the Yankees and the Dodgers to beat the Cubs. And then the Astros to beat the Dodgers. If Cleveland isn’t in it, I’m still going to love the game. Find a team to root for and hang on!”

And that is the way to get over the hurt of losing: find a team to root for and hang on.

That’s not exactly difficult for me. I love the game of baseball. I really do. As I’ve written before, my wife and I like to attend minor league games whenever we can. When we go we root, root, root for the home team. We are big time Toledo Mudhens fans, and they are the AAA team for the Detroit Tigers. Now, if we were to attend a Mudhens / Clippers game (the AAA team in Columbus for the Cleveland Indians) in Toledo, we’d be hard pressed to root for the Mudhens. Fortunately, we haven’t been put in that situation (yet)!

So, even though the Indians are out of it, I’m still going to enjoy the game. This means I had to find a team to root for.

I have a Twitter friend (@BritniB714) who is from Houston. Knowing her beloved Astros are in it, I’m rooting for them. Besides. They are playing against the team that beat the Indians (the New York Yankees), so that makes it easy. In the National League, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs. Since the Cubs beat the Indians in Game Seven of the World Series last year, rooting for the Dodgers is easy too. And once the World Series starts, it’s American League all the way, baby!

This past weekend we got to enjoy a few games. We watched the Astros win the first two of their series, and the Dodgers win the first of theirs. We’ve been really excited over here! Great games.

When watching the Indians during their post-season, the games have been played on a different network than normal. We love the Sportstime Ohio commentators. They are Cleveland fans, obviously, but that doesn’t mean they talk down the opposing team. They call a good game. If a good play is made, they praise it. If errors are made, they call them. They tell stories in between pitches covering players from both teams. A great group of guys.

When the post-season started, we started listening to the MLB.com app audio stream. This allowed us the ability to listen to a local radio station instead of the (non-Sportstime Ohio) TV announcers. And unlike using the radio, the audio and video sync is close enough to not drive you crazy.

After the Indians were out of it, I’d listen (in the Jeep) to the Houston announcers call the Astros/Yankees games. Great fun.

This past weekend, my wife and I were staying at the Punderson State Park Lodge. So, we caught the games on whatever channel was playing them - along with listening to the announcers of that particular channel.

During the Cubs/Dodgers game (played in Los Angeles), a play occurred that was a bit controversial. Not only was the play controversial, one of the announcers couldn’t help but provide some “color commentary” that really annoyed me.

Let me explain:

The Dodgers were up to bat. They had a man on second base. The batter hit out to left field, where Schwarber fielded it and threw it ALL THE WAY to home plate, just as the runner made it all the way from second to home. The catcher, stuck his left leg out, blocking the runner from being able to tag the base. The runner had to go around the catcher, missing the base completely, and the catcher stood up and tagged the runner. An out.

That play was challenged and overturned. He was safe. The reason being that the catcher is NOT allowed to block the path of the runner, UNLESS he had to in order to catch the ball. The catcher clearly did not have to.

Now, the rule was upheld and the Dodgers got the run. The Cubs coach got so mad he yelled at the umpire just enough to get thrown out of the game. (imagine a fist-pump emoji here)

The part that got me so annoyed was that the TV announcer (obviously a Cubs fan) said that he understood the rule, but it took away the “athleticism of the game”. The rule is recent and for years that would have been a good play by the catcher.

Really?!?

I’m no sports announcer. I’m just a simple fan. And apparently, unlike the announcer, I wasn't there in 1846 when baseball got started. So, I really should give him the benefit of the doubt.

Bulls**t!

If a catcher blocking the plate is considered the “athleticism of the game”, then the runner should be able to PLOW that catcher over - cleats first. Just like the old days. Is that what the announcer meant?

I’m almost sure that he would consider today’s football also missing the “athleticism of the game”. After all, they don’t wear leather helmets anymore, and they use all of that stupid padding!

It’s announcers like that that make watching the game so exasperating.

But it’s baseball. And I love the game. So, I am going to find a team to root for and hang on!

And so should you.

© Emittravel 2017

It's a Beautiful Day at the Corner of Carnegie and Ontario

This week's blog is a little different. Instead of sitting down and writing, I've decided to go the video route. Normally I write to release some of the pressure in my head so that, like a pressure cooker, I don't blow my top. It's been a pretty stress-free week, so I decided to share a great day. Enjoy! -j.p.

The title is a quote by Cleveland's own Tom Hamilton - sports radio announcer extraordinaire.

© Emittravel 2017

You Can Leave Your Hat On

I'm a Clevelander. I love this town. I'm not a big sports guy, but I love watching the Indians and the Browns. I've never been a Cavaliers fan, but that's because I almost dislike basketball. When I was an altar boy (another story for another day), the priests would take us on field trips to events like the Cleveland Force Indoor Soccer games (Darth Vader would come out before the team, the Imperial March would play, and everything!). These games were held at the Richfield Coliseum.

Now it's an empty field, but back then it was a giant echo chamber designed to make the 5,000 Cavs fans sound like 50,000.

Times have changed in Cleveland. No longer at Richfield, the games are played in a nice venue right downtown. And there are far more than 5,000 Cavs fans.

One of the big fans is the CEO of the company I work for. This year, as an incentive for folks to root for the winning Cavs, he has bestowed a "jeans day" for after every game the Cavs win during the finals. Our normal dress code is "business casual" (making nooses - er, I mean "neckties" optional), so jeans days are used more as incentives. For instance, we do a fundraiser, and everyone who donates a certain amount are permitted to wear jeans on that day. Things like that.

So, it was really nice that last week, even with the Cavs winning a game earlier in the week (granting us a jeans day), that we were permitted to wear jeans on Friday in recognition of the Memorial Day holiday.

I decided to include with my jeans a special hat (I have more hats than my wife has shoes): A baseball cap with the name of the ship I served on when in the Navy.

There are rules of etiquette that I like to follow when wearing a hat. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned that way. For instance, you can wear a hat into an office building, but you should take it off upon entering an office. Same with a hotel. It's okay in the lobby, or even in the hallways. You should take it off upon entering a hotel room. Get it?

On this day I threw etiquette to the wind and decided to wear the cap all day. This caused me to be the recipient of a few compliments, thanking me for my service. My response was as follows:

"Thank you, but you have Veterans Day to honor us. Memorial Day is to honor those who never came home."

So, as you take time to gather with family and friends to eat burnt offerings of brats and burgers, and even to argue the taboos of religion and politics, please remember that there are a number of gravestones that designate the life of someone who has given that life up for you.

With deepest thanks, and prayers to those families who mourn the loss, I take my hat off to you, and thank you for your service.

-j.p.

 (The title is a reference to the song from Joe Cocker.)

©Emittravel 2016