Author: AJ

Flashing Back to 1998

By Blaidd Drwg

Back in 1998, Topps included an insert subset in their baseball card set called “Hall Bound” with the intention of predicting guys who were going to be heading to the Hall of Fame some point after they retired. The way it looks, 14 of the 15 guys in the set should at some point have a plaque in Cooperstown. Here is the list:

Juan Gonzalez - probably the only player on this list that is not Hall Bound.

1998 Topps HallBound #HB1 Paul Molitor
1998 Topps HallBound #HB2 Tony Gwynn
1998 Topps HallBound #HB3 Wade Boggs
1998 Topps HallBound #HB4 Roger Clemens
1998 Topps HallBound #HB5 Dennis Eckersley
1998 Topps HallBound #HB6 Cal Ripken
1998 Topps HallBound #HB7 Greg Maddux
1998 Topps HallBound #HB8 Rickey Henderson
1998 Topps HallBound #HB9 Ken Griffey Jr.
1998 Topps HallBound #HB10 Frank Thomas
1998 Topps HallBound #HB11 Mark McGwire
1998 Topps HallBound #HB12 Barry Bonds
1998 Topps HallBound #HB13 Mike Piazza
1998 Topps HallBound #HB14 Juan Gonzalez
1998 Topps HallBound #HB15 Randy Johnson

Some of these “predictions” were pretty easy – Molitor, Gwynn, Boggs, Eckersley, Henderson and Ripken were all at the tail end of their careers by 1998 and, with maybe the exception of Eckersley, were all pretty much locks for the Hall by that point.

Maddux, Clemens and Bonds were all in the league roughly 10 years by that point and were pretty much locks by that point. McGwire was also in the league about 10 years by that point, but he hadn’t broken 60 home runs and was probably a borderline candidate at best.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the list:

Ken Griffey Jr. – He had just come off his first 56 home run season and won an MVP award. He was pretty much a lock by this point in his career for the Hall, unless he had completely fallen apart. While he only had 2 more great seasons left, he stuck around long enough and had enough good seasons to stay on track.

Frank Thomas – He was looking like a no-brainer selection for the Hall after the 1997 season. He would start his decline after ’97, but like Griffey stayed good long enough that there is no real question about his HOF credentials.

Mike Piazza – He was the first really risky choice on this list. He had only 5 full seasons under his belt after the 1997 season (granted with 3 finishes in the top 5 in MVP voting) and played a position where lifespan is generally not great. Posted a 23 WAR through 1997 and 26 from 1998 through the end of his career, but is probably the best hitting catcher in history, so he should cruise into the Hall easily.
Juan Gonzalez – Juan Gone was one of the most feared hitters at the time. He had one MVP and would win one more and like Griffey, looked like he would cruise into the Hall and would have only 2 more great seasons after 1997. Unlike Griffey, Gonzalez had his last great season at age 31 and was pretty much done after that and probably won’t see the Hall unless he buys a ticket.

Randy Johnson – The Unit was probably the most interesting choice on the list. He was 33 after the 1997 season ended, had recorded an ERA+ of 129, 2000 strikeouts and won a Cy Young Award, but had only recorded 124 wins. While he was great, he didn’t exactly scream Hall of Famer. From 1998 to the end of his career, he managed to pitch to age 45, win 4 Cy Young Awards, win 179 games, strike out 2875 batters and post a 141 ERA+. I would say he padded his resume just a bit.

Cubs Fire GM Jim Hendry, Reportedly Interviewing Sisyphus

by A.J. Coltrane

The Cubs futility continues (SI.com):

But the lineup was put together largely by Hendry, and not much has gone right for a team that hasn’t won it all in 102 years.

Pitcher Ryan Dempster got in a shouting match with his manager, the disabled list has been crowded with Cubs and Carlos Zambrano – who criticized his own closer early in the year – was banished from the team for a month after walking out of the clubhouse on a night he surrendered five home runs.

Hendry tried to bolster the lineup and drew some buzz by bringing back one-time ace Kerry Wood with a one-year, $1.5 million deal to be a setup man for closer Carlos Marmol. Yet fat contracts for Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez have always had fans wanting more from their stars, and the only move the Cubs made at the trade deadline last month was dealing outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland.

I read a theory a number of years ago that said (I think it was Bill James, I’m paraphrasing the quote) “The Cubs are going to sellout the stadium and sell tons of merchandise whether they win or not. This creates more inertia in and around the organization than is conducive to winning.”

Really, Hendry should have been fired for the Alphonso Soriano contract (8 years, $136m). To some degree though, it was the Fukudome (4 years, $48m) and (especially) Zambrano (5 years, $91m) contracts that did him in. Hendry seemed to have a knack for signing guys to long term deals right after they’d peaked.

Hendry’s background was in scouting. If the Cubs ever get stats-oriented they’re going to be tough to beat.

Actually, I think that would make them the Red Sox.

North Sound Beer Tour – Crossing the Pond to Chuckanut

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Continuing on the North Sound Beer Tour with our next stop, Chuckanut Brewing.

Stop 2 – Chuckanut Brewing in Bellingham.

Just down the street from Boundary Bay, about 10 minutes on foot, lies Chuckanut Brewing, sort of the antithesis of Northwest brewing. Owned by Wil Kemper (the same guy who created the Thomas Kemper brand years ago) and brewing with a high malt, low hop European style, Chuckanut has cleaned up with several GABF medals and high praise.

 The Beer – I get the sense that this was not the group’s favorite place, but I personally loved the beer. They had 6 beers on tap – all very summer appropriate, but not the kind of range that you are going to please a large group with. My favorites were the pilsner, brewed in a traditional Bohemian style with refreshing maltiness and just a hint of hops; it give the consumer a sense of what Budweiser probably tasted like in the early days. The Session Blonde was smooth and easy drinking; I could have easily knocked off several pints of that one. If I had to pick one overall, it would be the Kolsch. Probably my favorite style of beer for sitting outside on a sunny day, Chuckanut’s Kolsch was refreshing with a nice maltiness and a hint of flora overtones to it. Chuckanut also makes an English Style IPA. Coming in at a whopping 45 IBU, it is an IPA for non-IPA drinkers. While I am not a fan of the British IPA style anymore, it was a solid beer, reminding me more of an amber ale than an IPA. Chuckanut’s beers are available on tap only, so I would recommend taking home a growler or six of your favorites. Overall, I would give their beers 4 Lederhosen out of 5.

 The Atmosphere – Chuckanut sits just outside of downtown Bellingham in a converted warehouse. The space is large and has the brewery on one side and the taproom on another. Inside is nice – high ceilings, minimal decorations, not too fancy; a nice place to kick back and quaff a few brews. Outside there is a spacious patio with tons of room overlooking the water. The only drawback is the lack of shade – it can get pretty toasty out there on a sunny day. They lose a half point for lack of shade; otherwise they would have gotten a perfect score – the atmosphere rates as 4.5 Cumulonimbus clouds out of 5.

Dog Friendliness – It doesn’t get much dog friendlier than Chuckanut. Dogs are allowed on the patio, right at the table with you. The staff was nice and brought out a bowl and water for the pooch. I am pretty sure that they would have brought out beer for the dog if we asked. Chuckanut scores 5 chew toys out of 5.

North Sound Beer Tour – Sailing to Boundary Bay

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Recently, 8 people and 1 dog made a trek up north to participate in the inaugural “North Sound Beer Tour” sponsored by no one. Starting in Bellingham, we tackled 6 breweries over 12 hours on a spectacularly beautiful day. I was going to originally write one long review of the tour and then realized that it would be an epic tome rather than a blog post, so I have since decided to make it a series. The breweries that we visited were (in order of appearance) Boundary Bay, Chuckanut, Anacortes, Flyers, North Sound and Skagit River. I am rating all of the breweries on a 5-point (five being the highest score) scale in 3 categories: Beer, Atmosphere and Dog Friendliness. So without further delay, I give you the 2011 North Sound Beer Tour:

Stop 1 – Boundary Bay Brewing in Bellingham

Bellingham is a nice little town and is blessed to have two pretty great breweries, located within walking distance of each other. Boundary Bay is one of my favorite NW breweries; they have a solid beer lineup and one of the better IPA’s in the region.

The Beer – My personal favorites were the IPA (no brainier) – a nicely hoppy, northwest style IPA and the Imperial Oatmeal Stout, which had a wonderful maltiness with overtones of coffee and chocolate. The Scotch Ale, not one of my favorite styles, was immensely drinkable and not that cloyingly sweet/syrupy beer that I usually associate with Scotch Ale. I thought that Scotch Ale was a strange selection for a summer beer lineup, but what do I know. There really wasn’t anything in the sampler that I didn’t like or wouldn’t order a pint of. They have a nice, 10 tap selection, but definitely weighted to the heavier NW style beers you would expect from a Washington brewer. They sell growlers to go and they do sell several styles in bottles, which can be found in the Seattle area.  Overall, I would give their beers 4.5 out of 5 Flying Dutchmen.

The Atmosphere – I really like Boundary Bay’s setup. They are located on a main street, right across from the Bellingham farmers market, so there is plenty of street parking and paid lots if needed. The bar area is a converted garage with doors that will open and they have a sizeable deck for your outdoor seating pleasure. It really feels like a brewery with lots of wood and mismatched furniture. The atmosphere rates as 5 millibars out of 5.

Dog Friendliness – For a city that seems to be very dog friendly, BB is not. Dogs are not allowed on the outside deck and the deck is located on the side of the pub, so there is no good place to hitch up the pooch and keep an eye on her. Your best bet in the summer is to tie the dog to a tree in front and sit in one of the tables in the bar that are close to the doors. Not the best place in the NW to bring a dog – 2 tail wags out of 5.

Raising a Glass to a Legend

By Iron Chef Leftovers

The late Pierre Celis - his beers were so good that he had no reason not to smile.

I would be willing to bet most of you have no idea who Pierre Celis, who passed away in April at the age of 86, is. If you have ever had a glass of any sort of Wit or White beer (not to be confused with Hefewisen, which is something different), you should be thanking him for what you are drinking. Celis was a Belgian who started his first brewery in the late 1960’s after an uninspiring career as a milkman. Celis revived an old style of Belgian beer, Wit, which had all but disappeared; the beer that he unleashed on the world – Hoegaarden. Celis sold his interest in the brewery in the late 80’s and moved to Austin, Texas, where he started brewing Celis White in the early 1990’s, considered to be the first microbrewed Wit beer in the U.S. as well as the one which started the trend of Wit beers from U.S. breweries. Celis then sold that brewery and moved back to Belgium, and worked as a guest brewer for a variety of breweries until his death.

Next time you find yourself quaffing a Wit, raise your glass to one of the most important brewers of the 20th century and remember, if it wasn’t for him, you would probably be drinking an IPA.

A Rucker Park Legend Is Born

by A.J. Coltrane

From ESPN:

The Oklahoma City Thunder forward and reigning NBA scoring champion dazzled the crowd by scoring 66 points in an Entertainers Basketball Classic game Monday.

“I’ve always wanted to play at Rucker Park all my life,” Durant told one of the league’s emcees after his DC Power team beat the Sean Bell All-Stars, which featured Chicago Bulls guard John Lucas III.

Rucker Park, located across the street from where the Polo Grounds used to stand, is famed for pickup games and leagues that have counted Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant among its visitors.

Durant fell two points short of the EBC scoring record, set by Steve Burtt Jr. in 2007. Joe (The Destroyer) Hammond is recognized as holding the park record of 74 points in a game.

My favorite part:

After the game, Durant tweeted: “No lie, jus had one of the best times of my life at Rucker park..wow! I love NY…Harlem waddup.”

Kevin Durant: The prize free agent signing of the 2017 NY Knicks!

We can all dream.

Grilled Pizza

by A.J. Coltrane

Grilled pizza! The dough recipe is here.

Grilled Goodness

Steps:

1. Saute or grill any ingredients that would benefit from advance cooking.

2.  Roll the dough out thinly.

3.  Lightly oil one side and put the oiled side down on a hot grill. When the bottom is nicely colored remove the pizza from the grill.

4. Lightly oil the top side. Flip the pizza over and dress the “new” (grilled) top side.

5. Return pizza to the grill, close the lid, and cook until the cheese is melted and the bottom looks good. (Fresh basil should be added right at the end — I put it on a little too soon in the picture above.)

San Giorgio Commercial – Revisited

By Iron Chef Leftovers

A few weeks ago I was lamenting over a San Giorgio Spaghetti commercial that I couldn’t find, well I finally found it (in the video below at minute 1). It isn’t complete, but you will get the idea. I think they had a budget of about $10 for the commercial and picked up random people off the street to appear in it – the production values are just not there.

I got interrupted when I was watching it so I didn’t hit stop when it was over, and it lead me to encounter a commercial which I forgot about – the NY Giants singing a commercial for Pepsi Lite. I don’t know which is more disturbing – the Giants singing and dancing (terribly) in towels or that there was something called Pepsi Lite in the 1980’s. (The commercial starts at 1:32).

There are some other 1980’s, New York regional commercials in this block too, so enjoy.

Manchester United and Their US Tour

By Blaidd Drwg

Wayne Rooney - the man who scored more goals against the MLS in 22 minutes than the MLS scored against ManU in 360 minutes.

Manchester United recently wrapped up their MLS exhibition tour with a 4 – 0 crushing of the MLS All-Stars in New York. In the 4 game series, the Reds outscored their opponents 18 –2, but they still have one game left before they cross the pond – they are playing a competitor that should prove to be slightly more challenging than the MLS teams. They get to play the team that crushed them in the Champions League finals – FC Barcelona. THAT should be a good game.

I watched some of the Sounders-ManU match and, while US soccer has come a long way, it still has a longer way to go. The Sounders held their own in the first half of the game, but I think that had to do more with adrenalin and playing in front of 65,000 people than level competition. They got absolutely crushed in the second half when both teams essentially played their second strings and it became obvious that ManU was easily the better team. Wayne Rooney also reminded everyone that he can still play the game by putting on a clinic, netting a hat trick in 22 minutes and looking like he was Michael Jordan in a pickup game against a bunch of high school kids.

Until US Soccer switches to a system like the Europeans with a feeder program that stresses fundamentals rather than winning, changes the league structure to allow for relegations and promotions, and allows teams to be competitive and sign European and Latin American players in their prime (as opposed to washed up “stars” like Beckham and Henry), we will never be able to compete consistently on either a club level or international level with the rest of the world.