Atlanta Braves brining home Vindication

 CONGRATS to the Atlanta Brave for making it to the World Series!!!

However, their appearance in baseballs grandest stage isn't without controversy, not due to steroids or stealing signs but because of it's logo, name and chop at games.

After the 2021 All Star Game was moved to Colorado due to Georgia's desire for honest elections, the democrats called foul and forced the game to be moved to Denver Colorado.  Atlanta is 51% black, Denver (the most minority free MLB city) is 76% white, but the game was moved to support "diversity".... yeah, doesn't make any damn sense to me either.

Once again the brainless fools of "cancel culture" have ramped up their whining and crying over what they claim "offends" American Indians, even though all those who are whining and crying seem to be about as American Indian as, lifetime liar, Elizabeth Warren.

Back in the late 80's and through the 90's I spent a lot of time in Atlanta and attended 300+ games over the years, and I would occasionally see people protesting the Braves caricature like mascot, as well as the team name and other American Indian symbols but never saw an actual American Indian doing any protesting.  ALL of the "protesters" I saw were, pasty white folk, most of which looked like they had never  even picked up a bat, ball and/or glove, they were just grandstanding and making noise.

America is infested with "cancel culture" and people claiming to be "social justice warriors" who really only come off as whining and uneducated fools.  I have yet to engage a single one that has any real substance to their argument, with the exception of the Washington Football Teams former name, the "Redskins", as that was used far too often as a diversive slur, so I supported that name change, but the Cleveland and Atlanta baseball franchises have nothing to apologize for and therefor, no need to change anything.  

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH from these pompous and petulant, overgrown infants with the thinnest skin in the history of mankind...er, humankind... whatever!  Sports is supposed to be an escape from such simpleton nonsense.  Let's leave sports out of politics and especially, let's leave politics out of sports.

GOOD LUCK BRAVES!!!

Major League memories for a winning movie

 "...JUST a bit outside!" has become a catch phrase for more then just a wild pitch in baseball.  It's been called out by commenters at tennis matches, football games and about any other sport with a ball, but it's just one of the many memorable lines from, Major League.

To this day, Major League, is still one of the most beloved and memorable sports movies of all time and gave us some truly great movie characters and a launching pad for two great careers, Wesley Snipes and Charlie Sheen.

The biggest problem that this movie has, its sequels, it's hard for some to separate the first film from the second, and the second didn't do any favors to the first, as the sequel went far more into the comedy genre than a good up-and-coming baseball film.

Standing on it's own, Major League really is a truly great sports movie, it had a lot more of the life problems that some players see, but was also able to mix in a bit of that movie magic, so that all things come together.

One of the first people that has to be acknowledged is, Mr Baseball Bob Uecker, without him, the film would have had a completely different tone and wouldn't have been the success it was, he stole the show, yet all the rest of the cast is still very memorable.  He was given a completely free hand at his scenes and it really paid off.

The base story is pretty good, a widow and former showgirl inherits ownership of a major league baseball team from her deceased husband, she hatches a plan to sink the team and move it to a more pleasant climate, from Cleveland to Miami.  The ragtag team of has-beens, never should bes and misfits has to come together to win the pennant.  It's basic but really works, especially if you can keep the second film out of your head, it deserves the 🌟

Wild Thing Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), Cerano (Dennis Haysbert) & Jobu, Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes), Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) and the bitch herself, Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitten) are ones that very few sports fans don't know, and a lot of non-sports fans won't forget.  The characters for the film all filled their roles very nicely, almost no crossover.  Even though you might not remember the name, Eddie Harris (Chelsie Ross) you will remember the line, "yo bartender, Jobu needs a refill" and what he was like.  This gang should get the star but I'd like to have seen more of the team represented than just a small handful of the starters, I think this is one of the two things that held the film back.

The casting, was phenomenal, not sure they could have done any better on any of the choices.  Each one ate up their role as if the chef cooked it based on their DNA.  James Gammon was great as Manager, Lou Brown and his short connection with Charlie Donovan (Charles Cyphers), was an excellent scene, and should have had more to it.  Casting gets the 🌟

Next to the sequels, the writing was one of the parts that needed to push themselves more, in the way the team did to mess with Rachels plan, but they slid short and got tagged out.  As I said, the basic story was good, but the script didn't seem to know which direction it really wanted to go.  The comedy from Uecker's announce, Harry Doyle and the problems with Wild Things control were more than enough comedy for the film, but they felt the need to over play some at the expense of what could have been a bit more dramatic story. 

When Jake Taylor walked back out onto the field, we felt the weight of it and that special moment for him, we felt that big league part.  He points to the wall, takes his swing and hits his "home run" and takes his trip around the bases, but it then fell a bit flat as the two rookies didn't have their moment of "WOW, this IS the big leagues" that they should have, another fail of the writing, but we still felt it for Taylor.  On top of that, all the other locations just felt right for the scenes, except one, the bar that Vaughn was sitting alone in when Dorn's wife comes in to pick him up, didn't seem like his kind of place to "be alone".  Two pieces, even though one was more the writers fault, doesn't make it to third base on production.

The soundtrack is an excellent blend of James Newton Howard's great buildup music and Randy Newman's easy blues for, Burn on Big River, gave you the feel of Cleveland and Municipal Stadium near the Cuyahoga River, it made a good setting for the opening credits, you got the vibe of film from that song and you were moved by the background music, encouraging the desire to cheer them on.  The nice mix gets the soundtrack the 🌟

When it comes to the direction of the film, this cast shot says a lot, they really had a good time making the movie and it moves well, you connect to the story and characters at a good pace and get the changes and growth of the story and characters.  There aren't any bits and pieces left dangling, no real unanswered questions that highly affect the story, things wrap up nicely in then end,  David Ward gets the 🌟 for this one, too bad some of his other directorial outings, King Ralph, Major League II and Down Periscope weren't done a bit better, even though I'm a fan of those.

The editor Dennis Hill should get an extra bases high five, as the scenes went well together, the flow and rhythm of the film are good and keep you involved. 🌟

The studio put a fairly good marketing campaign out for the film, but didn't really step up to the plate like they could have, more baseball oriented merchandise like pennants would have been great, as well as action figures through Kenner Toys and their, Starting Lineup sets would be incredible collector items today.  They seemed to just see it as another sports movie, with a decent push, but didn't expect much so they didn't go for the big hit, they played it safe, unfortunately. 

As far are Time & Loyalty, like many sports movies, this one certainly qualifies for the hall of fame, it's still a big hit and fans still cheer for the underdog.  The merchandise has even begun to come around with bobbleheads and Funko Pop figures, along with even being able to get a pair of Wild Thing glasses. 🌟

⚾ A film that could have been an epic, grand slam home run, but didn't have the power to make it over the wall, so it's only a 6 out of 10 stars, but still a movie I will rarely give up the chance to watch. 

Another Icon of Americana is Gone

 While the, Washington Football Team is still trying to figure out a new team name and logo, the Cleveland Indians have jumped into the stanky pool of "political correctness" and done away with one of the most iconic logos in American Sports history... what's next, banning the film, Major League?

This decision comes with a flood of foolishness and infantile whining from leftists (most of which are whiter than a major league baseball) in something that is called, "virtue signaling" a made up term that basically means, "we know better than the people we are claiming to be protecting" but really just means, "we're a bunch of dumbasses who are ignorant of accurate history and the basics of the English Language".

Baseball, and sports in general, used to be the last great refuge away from political nonsense (for the most part), a way to get away from the nonsense in the public and just enjoy America's Pastime with family and friends.  A day at the ball park, hotdog in one hand, beer in another, ready to drop both if a foul ball comes your way.  Or a day in the hammock, radio on, cold beer, burgers on the grill, family and friends enjoying the sun & breeze... but no more of that nonsense 😡 (am I still allowed to use that emoji?).

Speaking of the Washington Football Team, I agree with the

name change on that, but there was and remains nothing wrong with the logo, it was actually designed by an American Indian (shut up, there is nothing wrong with that term).  They should have been done in 24-48 hours going from the old name to the, Washington Warrior and that would be that, but you had all the pale faces whining and crying about a logo they hadn't even bothered to research at all.

"The Redskins primary logo used today was first designed in 1971 in close consultation with Native American leaders. Among those who unanimously approved and voiced praise for the logo was Walter "Blackie" Wetzel, a former President of the National Congress of American Indians and Chairman of the Blackfeet Nation."

Cleveland's decision to change it's name and logo make no damn sense at all, none, zip, zilch, nada... especially with a major motion picture backing up the teams heritage and iconic standing in American sports.

This is the man behind the name, Indians, his name is Louis

Francis Sockalexis and was known as, The Deerfoot of the Diamond, a member of the Penobscot Tribe, he played 3 years of professional baseball, all for the Cleveland Spiders.  He played outfield, had 3 home runs and 55 RBI’s in his career with a .313 batting average.

The logo of Chief Wahoo, as we see it here, has been a part of Americana since 1951 and before that still that of an American Indian Warrior swinging a baseball bat rather than a weapon of war.  It

was only made more iconic and beloved in the 1989 sports classic, Major League, starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Beringer & Wesley Snipes.  The Indians logo became a symbol of the Underdog Team, it brought fans to the team and the game, a lot of new ones.

The bottom line is this, "political correctness" is an intellectual disease, robbing the individual of any and all trace of Common Sense, Logic and Reason, thus why they always act like such petulant children, screaming at the top of their lungs and/or name calling rather than engage in rational debate with substance and facts.  "Virtue Signaling" is the latest political weapon that is used like a blunt object, based in inaccurate history, guilt trips and false feelings of entitlement.

History is riddled with things  like this, “oh it’s only a baseball team”… that’s how it starts, little things that don’t seem to matter on the grand scale of life but have always ended with it being taken to extremes and creating some of the darkest times in human history, despite what it’s called in the beginning.

I will always proudly wear my Cleveland Indians baseball hats and anything else I own with that historical and logo based in pure Americana, it's an icon and deserves to be treated better than banishment based in ignorance.

Baseball on Radio, another American Pastime

 Listening to Horton and Clairborne call a St. Louis Cardinals game is like listening to two college kids, that none of the fraternities wanted, try to call a high school ball game.  I change the station when they both came on to call the game.

Rick Horton is bad enough when he’s on with Jon Rooney, as he talks far too much and way too fast, as if he’s calling a horse race instead of a baseball game.  Not to mention he talks about himself too much, I didn’t even know who he was until I looked him up and still don’t know who he is.  If he was a somebody when he was a player, I can understand, but he tries to make everything about him.

Clairborne just seems very green and hasn’t done much on a microphone, still talks as if he’s a player, if he was one, he just has a lot of growing up to do and needs to speak more clearly, he’s calling a game, not talking to buddies in a bar.

Great sports announcers on radio are getting fewer and further between and that’s a crying shame, there is a lot of old tape they could listen to from pairs like, Jack Buck & Mike Shannon or Harry Carey and Pee Wee Reese, that really knew how to call baseball.

People want to chill while listening to baseball, in the hammock or on the couch, and if the announcer is calling it all like a horse race then you can’t relax, nothing wrong with a little bit of (almost) silence here and there, we can still hear the crowd.

Slow down, take your time… it’s baseball, enjoy it.

Happy Birthday Mike Shannon

 68 young years in the world and 50 years in Baseball, Mike Shannon is a true treasure to the St. Louis Cardinals, the state of Missouri and to Sports Broadcasting. 

Born Thomas Michael Shannon, he was the second oldest of six kids, raised on the south side of St. Louis.  His senior year in high school he was, Player of the Year in Football and Basketball (only student ever to win both in the same year) ... but not...? okay LOL  He went on to play football at the University of Missouri but would leave in 1958 to begin his baseball career with the Cardinals.  His former coach, Frank Broyles said that if Shannon had stayed at MU Football, he might have won the Heisman.

With the Cardinals as a player, he helped the team to two World Championships in 1964 and 1967, in July of 66 he was named NL Player of the Month.  Shannon hit the final home run in the original Busch Stadium and then hit the first homerun in the second Busch Stadium, his playing career was cut short in 1970 when he was diagnosed with a kidney disease.  He would go on to be part of three more World Championships as part of the Cardinals broadcast team.

In 1971 he began in the radio broadcast booth alongside the legendary, Jack Buck and was partnered with him for almost 30 years, in 2002 Shannon was named as the lead broadcaster, and he's been there ever since. Shannon was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014 and in 2016 he moved to only broadcasting home games, 2021 will be his final season broadcasting for the team.

For many years he was the proprietor of, Mike Shannon's Steak & Seafood House in downtown St. Louis (I've got four of the original dinner menus) and still has two, Mike Shannon's Grill, one in Edwardsville IL and one, that many eat at, in the St Louis airport, I always stop in for a bite when traveling.

Growing up a Royals fan, I missed the last part of the Jack Buck era, but since becoming a Cardinals fan, Mike Shannon has been the The Man when it comes to the radio calls of the Cards games and it's not going to be the same without him.  

Happy Birthday Mike, and Thank You. 💖⚾

My sports collection shelf, dedicated to Mike Shannon, just to the left is a couple of things for Michael Wacha (wacha wacha) 😆

Thin air between the ears of MLB execs

 

The decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game was based in misinformation, propaganda and outright LIES.

Originally slated to take place in Atlanta GA, MLB claims that it didn’t move the game to protest the states new Voter Laws but it was too obvious and the denial has stopped, though they have yet to actually admit it.  These laws, in spite of the lies of the media, shored up voter security and made it easier for legal citizens to vote in the state. It also helped to prevent the potential for voter fraud, which, again despite the lies of the national media, does exist all too much.

But, the misinformed public cried foul ball on the new Georgia laws, that they neither read or understand at all, and the “leadership” at MLB announced the move to Coors Field in Denver Colorado, a state, up until the last election cycle, was a “red state” before voting laws were illegally changed.

I’m happy to say that I won’t be tuning in on television or the MLB app.  Yeah, I know, they won’t miss me, but that’s too bad that today’s MLB only seems to listen to one side of an argument and never seems to listen to Common Sense anymore.

Along with the greedy kids wishlist to Santa style number of new rules, that keep on coming, the Major Leagues are going to see a major exodus of fans, if they are not careful.  Major League Baseball has almost failed several times in my life and might see the end sooner than they think if they keep allowing politics to make decisions for the game.

This issue shows, more than ever, that politics and sports need to stay as far away from each other as possible, as much as possible.  Don’t like the game being held in Georgia, fine don’t go, and petition for the game to be had in Colorado down the road.

Personally, I’ve been a far bigger fan of Minor League Baseball for over 20 years than that of Major League, and the list of WHY just keeps on growing, as I’m sure it is for a lot of fans.

The move of the 2021 All-Star Game was/is/always will be a black eye on the American Pastime. 🇺🇸⚾️

A Yen to know more about Japanese Baseball

There are some things that the nation of #Japan takes far more seriously than a lot of people here in the states realize, and one of them is, #Baseball.

Shohei Ohtani is one of the most amazing baseball players I’ve ever seen from any country and so glad to see his incredible success from both the pitching mound and at the plate, which is unusual for a player from any country.

The baseball world is incredibly excited for his achievements so far and I’m thrilled to see if he has the staying power that Coach Madden has for him.

It’s easy to compare a hot player to the legends of yesteryear but can they keep it up for more than one season, that is the biggest question.

Personally, I’m just glad to see fans in the states taking Japanese Baseball Players more and more

seriously.  For a long time I had heard some bits and pieces about how seriously they take Americas Pastime there, but it wasn’t until 1992s Tom Selleck film, Mr Baseball did I start to look into Japan’s rich history of baseball.

The movie was about an aging American ballplayer who get traded to a Japanese baseball team, who happens to have a legendary Coach.  The American ends up challenging his coaches game-to-game hitting streak, but at the core was also the films look at how Japan looks at baseball, it’s a good bit different than here in the states.   Neither is necessarily right or wrong, it’s just a difference in the culture and that is part of what really interested me.  I highly recommend the film, by the way, it’s a romantic-comedy that has a lot of fun, but it’s also got some good views into Japanese life and differences in the people that keeps it interesting throughout.  

What I started asking friends from Japan about baseball there, I got some great stories that weren’t unlike stories here in the states, about family trips, father & son, throwing the ball with friends, it was all kind of familiar and that’s the beauty of baseball, it’s one of our universal languages in sports.

Players like Japans Home Run King, Sadaharu Oh, then America being introduced to another legend, Kaoru Betto on the t-shirt of #TheDude from the #BigLebowski, to players like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui making the jump to the Majors here in the states, have gotten the attention of fans from hardcore to just general fans, but Ohtani is getting the attention of the entire sports world.

I’m thankful for the fictional characters in the movies like the ones in Mr Baseball or, Tanaka in Major League II but I genuinely hope that more American baseball fans start digging into the history of baseball in Japan.

It is one of my dreams, on my trip over there, to catch some baseball games and get the full experience of noodles instead of hotdogs, learning a team chant or two and even trying to find some collectibles to add to my own, like the original card and mask I have of Betto, and of the ones who have made the transition like Suzuki & Matsui.

Going back to Ohtani, I hope to see him wowing fans for years, and see his career grow, he certainly looks like he has the potential and work ethic to stay strong.

Even though Baseball is America’s pastime, Japan has taken this game and made it her own as well, like so many other countries have.  I consider it one of our great achievements to have the international relations that baseball has created.