Orioles Magic

My sister and her family took me to a ball game for my 52nd birthday.  Orioles won with a walk-off single in the ninth, which was great.

That's right, I'm 52!

Play Ball

 

Nymeo Field, home of the Frederick Keys.

I got a free ticket to attend a Summer League ball game here in Frederick.  It's college level ball basically, but the beer and food prices are all very much major league.  Not a bad little stadium but the bathrooms were also a nightmare.

If you're sensing a negative trend on this here blog that's because there is one, between a job that started strong and has turned into a typically toxic management situation and, well, everything else going on in the world.

I turn 51 this month.  I'm considering early retirement.

I kind of wish I was joking?

Ichiro!

Ichiro Suzuki makes it to the hall of fame on his first ballot.

Like the recently departed Rickey Henderson, you could watch any game of any importance and they elevated the skill, the passion, and the joy.

RIP Rickey Henderson

He was always fun to watch.

Summer In Baltimore

Of course the Orioles having an amazing season coincides with the Yankees having an even better one.

Important Sports Post

This prediction is more aspirational than not, but I'm looking for Tampa Bay and Milwaukee to play in the World Series.

Update: Ouch.  Fuck the Astros.  I honestly don't care for any of these teams, except maybe the Dodgers or Giants.

Samsung Fighting!

My former Korean professional baseball squad based in Daegu, the Samsung Lions, is off to a really great start this year.  They weren't expected to do much any time soon.  Just my luck that they'd turn the corner once I left that country.

That is all.

15-16!

Let's see if I can get this straight -- Orioles pitcher Jon Means pitched a complete game no-hitter, but in striking someone out on a wild pitch he just missed a perfect game.  The base runner got thrown out at second, but having a single base runner on first invalidates a perfect game.  He only faced 27 hitters (the minimum possible) but the (IMO catch-able) WP ruined it.

Still pretty cool though.

April Update

My sister went back to Baltimore and her son and her job this morning, which makes me sad.

But, she's returning in May for another visit.

I think our rhythm is set -- she'll come out every six to eight weeks.  This summer, if our COVID shots are all done, my nephew can visit.

It ain't easy.  But then again, it's been two months and I think we've made a lot of progress.  Just knowing what my Dad's expectations and needs and limits are is a good start.

We could use some warmer weather now.

It is beautiful here, and very quiet.  I sleep very well, better than I thought was possible.

Looking forward to my transition back to American baseball from Korean baseball but then again, the Old Man hates baseball with a passion.

Ichiro still plays for the Mariners, right?

One Of The Greats

I'm stoked that now I live in Bellingham I'm a Seattle Mariners fan.

Ichiro Suzuki still plays for them, right?

— James (@wetcasements) March 23, 2021

Genocide Is Nothing To Celebrate, Even Indirectly

First, the egregiously named "Redskins," now the slightly less egregiously "Cleveland Indians" are making a break with their mascot and its dicey cultural history:

"In July, the team said they were considering changing their name in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, which sparked a widespread debate about racism in America. 'We are committed to making a positive impact in our community and embrace our responsibility to advance social justice and equality. Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community,' the team said in a July statement. The team’s manager, Terry Francona, has said he believes it is time to 'move forward' from the name. 

Cleveland were known as the Lake Shores, Bluebirds, Broncos and Naps before settling on their current nickname in 1915."

Let's face it -- if "Indian" had no connection to "Chief Wahoo" this might not have happened.  And I like "Shores" or "Lake Shores" or "Lakers" -- let's make the 2020's the decade of geographical and topographical sports mascots!

City of Heroes

Congratulations to the NC Dinos, who just won their first Korean Baseball Championship.  (They've only been around since 2013, natch.)

/Kirk Gibson gimpy fist pump

Whelp, the Dodgers deserved to win.

I'm just thankful that a COVID-era World Series proved to be as entertaining as this one, despite my skepticism.

And once again, the Orioles have rushed out to a solid 0-0, .500 season for 2021.

Enter The G-Man

My World Series inclination is to root for the American League squad, but a few years back I adopted the Dodgers are my B-team.  However, Ryu Hyun-jin has moved on to Toronto, and I'm really intrigued by Tampa Bay's first baseman Choi Ji-man.

He's a total journeyman oddball.  Plays first as a rightie (which implies he's a natural rightie) but has until recently always batted as a leftie.  But now, he's also flirting with switch hitting.  (He's only 29, but that's way late to change an entire plate approach.)

Anyhow, I think I'm rooting for Tampa Bay now and hope Choi (known as "The G-Man") gets off at least one decent bat-flip.

Fuck The Yankees, Fuck the Stros

The rabid hellscape of 2020 is the only possible timeline where I become a Tampa Bay Rays fan.

"I'm high as a Georgia pine"

I've linked to this before but hey, it's the 50th anniversary of Dock Ellis' no-hitter performance pitched while ganked out of his gourd on LSD.  (And to balance it out he popped a ton of speed as well.)

This is the kind of American exceptionalism I can actually get behind.

Since Nobody Asked I Went Ahead And Ranked All 10 Korean Baseball Organization Uniforms

Korean Baseball Team Uniforms Ranked:

1) Kia Tigers (Gwangju)
2) Kiwoom Heores (Seoul)
3) Lotte Giants (Busan)
4) Samsung Lions (Daegu)
5) Doosan Bears (Seoul)
6) LG Twins (Seoul)
7) SK Wyverns (Incheon)
8) Hanhwa Eagles (Daejeon)
9) NC Dinos (Changwon)
10) KT Wiz (Suwon)

— Your Little Ray of Sunshine James (@wetcasements) May 7, 2020

A Little Bright Spot

Obviously, I wish the circumstances were different.  But I can never shut up about the glories of Korean baseball and now apparently ESPN has cut a deal to bring Korean ballgames to the US.

As of today, the Korean games are being played without an audience which, admittedly, kind of defeats the purpose.  Then again, with Korean public schools opening up again next week it might not be long before limited numbers of fans are allowed to attend games.

May the cheerleaders, outrageous bat flipping, and beer drinking contests get here sooner rather than later!

Now Some Good News

It's close to May and the Orioles are .500.

Congrats

I think it's clear by now I'm a conflicted Orioles fan, but goddammit if the Nationals didn't fight the fuck back every step of the way.

Congrats DC!#WorldSeries

— (I Ain't Afraid of No) James (@wetcasements) October 31, 2019