Editor’s Note: In the spirit of counting down to the start of the Major League Baseball season over the next two weeks we here at Triple B will present our completely subjective ranking of the Top 10 Baseball Movies. Today we look at number 10 on the list.
I have often said that baseball is a sport that is best experienced live and in the Ballpark since there are so many sights, sounds, smells and other sensory sensations that just can’t be captured on television.
But for people who may not have access to a Ballpark or live in an area where games are frequently rained out there are several cinematic options to transport the movie goer into the world of the bleachers.
Coming in at number 10 on the Triple B Top 10 Baseball Movies list is Bleacher Bums which explores the view from the bleachers and the relations
The number 10 movie on the Triple B totally subjective top 10 countdown of baseball movies is Bleacher Bums starring Wayne Knight and Brad Garrett. Photo R. Anderson
hips that can build over the course of a season among fans with adjoining seats.
The movie follows a group of season ticket holders over the course of the season and captures the highs and lows that go along with being a diehard fan.
Fans of Seinfeld will be treated to Wayne Knight in the film but do try to resist shouting “Newman” whenever he is on screen as one will end up with a sore throat and miss a lot of the dialog.
While the actual baseball scenes in the movie offer a few errors the film connects on the interaction of fans and the conversations that often break out during the course of a game.
Through the years just as I think I have heard almost everything imaginable in a Ballpark something new is overheard from my seat and I am reminded of Bleacher Bums and how it captures the Ballpark conversations to a science.
I never will understand fans that heckle players and feel it is their right to do so because they purchased a ticket to the game but unfortunately that is a part of the Ballpark experience.
While I recommend going to the Ballpark in person as often as possible to hear actual conversation, on a rainy day or when the ballpark is too far away the number 10 movie on our totally subjective countdown can be a good fit. Plus, you can always fast forward through the heckling scenes which is something I certainly wish could be done in real life.
The other day I took my Jeep in for a routine oil change and alignment check.
While I try to be good about coming in every 3,000 miles or so I am occasionally tardy in my duties as a car owner and stretch things out to four or five thousand miles between oil changes.
This was one of those times where I was closer to the five thousand mark than three thousand but I figured the car was no worse for it.
Since the mechanic is within walking distance of my house I will often drop off the Jeep and walk home as opposed to sitting in the waiting room watching the History Channel, which always seems to be on when I am there.
A recent surprise flat tire got me thinking about some surprises I would actually like to see this year. Photo R. Anderson
Don’t get me wrong, I love the History Channel but I figure there are so many more things that I can do in the comfort of my own home as opposed to spending time in the waiting room.
So as I was sitting at home on my couch watching the History Channel, the mechanic called to tell me that they would not be able to fix my flat tire since the bolt had gone through the side wall.
This news surprised me in many ways.
First, I had not been aware that I had a flat tire and secondly how exactly does a bolt manage to enter a tire at a 90 degree angle?
I mentioned to the mechanic that I was not aware of a flat tire and perhaps he had mixed up my chart with someone else’s. He assured me that one of my tires was punctured and it was time to look at the options.
After it was determined that the tire could not be repaired and would need to be replaced, I realized that my $20 oil change was going to be far more expensive than originally planned.
My first reaction at having to purchase an unplanned tire was of course one of anger since I never seem to get the full manufacturer’s suggested amount of miles out of a set of tires.
In fact the tire that was mortally wounded by the bolt only had around 6,000 miles on it which made it a tire teenager cut down in its prime.
While the surprise aspect of the additional tire purchase was certainly not what I had planned on, I was definitely happy to have the surprise of a punctured tire happen while I was sitting on my couch as opposed to driving down the highway and experiencing a blowout or other tire issue that would have caused more damage to the Jeep and/or me.
So, all in all learning about a flat tire in air conditioned comfort on a couch with someone else doing the repair was certainly a welcome surprise albeit an expensive one.
The surprise World Serie pairing that I want to see in October is the Tampa Bay Rays against the Washington Nationals. Photo R. Anderson
The surprise flat got me thinking about other potential surprises that could arise with the pending starts of the Major League Baseball, NASCAR and Indy Racing League seasons over the next couple of weeks.
Of course if one knew what was going to happen in each of those areas ahead of time they would not be surprises but for the sake of argument here is one potential surprise and one dark horse surprise that I would love to see in each of those sports this season.
First up let’s look at the surprises for Major League Baseball.
With the Major League Baseball season just around the corner the biggest surprise I would like to see is the Tampa Bay Rays making a return trip to the World Series against the Washington Nationals.
While the Rays and Nationals are both loaded with talent this year they each face huge obstacles in their quest for October glory. The Rays have a slightly better chance at postseason play despite playing in the toughest division in baseball.
Were the Houston Astros to somehow win the American League West title this season it would likely be the surprise of the year if not the century. Photo R. Anderson
But for the record the Major League Baseball surprise I most want to see this year is a Rays against Nationals World Series.
Of course my dark horse surprise, that has almost no chance in the world of happening, would be for the Houston Astros to win the American League West.
That surprise is probably at least a decade away from happening but anything can happen I suppose.
With the Major League Baseball surprises written down my sights soon turned to NASCAR.
The Daytona 500 kicks off the 36-race NASCAR season this weekend (more on that in Friday’s column).
As in the past few seasons the powers that be added some tweaks to the points and other rules that teams will need to quickly get up to speed on.
Danica Patrick would surprise many people including Richard Petty were she to win a NASCAR race this season. Photo R. Anderson
Perhaps no other sport enjoys messing with the rules each year as much as NASCAR does so they are certainly consistent with their constant changes.
My NASCAR related surprise that I would like to see involves the driver of the #10 car Danica Patrick.
After becoming the first woman to win an IRL race, Danica became the first woman to start on the pole and lead laps in the Daytona 500 last year during her first full year in NASCAR’s highest level.
My Danica related surprise would be for her to silence her critics in the Petty family and elsewhere by winning a race this year.
There are 36 opportunities for her to accomplish that and I feel that she very well could make history once again and make The King Richard Petty eat that feather on his hat.
In a perfect world Jimmy Johnson would let someone else win the championship this season. Photo R. Anderson
As for the NASCAR related dark horse surprise I would most like to see, that would be for someone other than Jimmy Johnson to hoist the Champion’s trophy at the end of the year.
I mean come on Jimmy you have six of them already it is time to share with the rest of the class and take some time off before getting that record tying seventh championship that no amount of rules changes can prevent you from eventually winning.
Lastly let us look at the big surprises I am predicting for the IRL this year.
With the series returning once again to Houston for a two-race weekend in June I would like to have the surprise of seeing both races run without any career ending injuries such as the one that Dario Franchitti suffered last year.
Dario Franchitti’s racing career ended on a racetrack constructed in a stadium parking lot. Hopefully no other drivers face the same fate when the Indy Racing Series returns to Houston this June. Photo R. Anderson
Hopefully with more time to plan race organizers can make sure that the track will be in better shape so the drivers can race each other and not worry about whether the track is going to cause them to lose control or take them out of the championship picture, or end their careers.
As for my dark horse surprise I want to see this year in the Indy Series, that would be for Juan Pablo Montoya to win the IRL Championship for Roger Penske after coming over from a few years spent in NASCAR driving for Penske’s bitter rival Chip Ganassi.
So there you have it several surprises to look out for over the next six months or so in MLB, NASCAR and IRL competition.
Of course if any of those surprises do end up happening you can always say that you read about them here first.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some surprises to get ready for.
The other day I learned some troubling news about an old friend.
When I was growing up, this friend and I shared many adventures during the spring and summer months with family and friends.
Sadly, time and neglect have finally taken their toll on my good friend, Tinker Field, and at the ripe age of 91 years old he is facing extinction.
Tinker Field, my good friend, is a ballpark in Orlando, FL that I have written about many times. In fact, one of the very first columns I ever wrote was related to Tinker Field.
It was at Tinker Field that I saw most of my professional baseball games during the 20th Century.
From Spring Training for Major League Baseball, to full seasons of Minor League Baseball, the quaint little ballpark in the shadow of the Citrus Bowl was a unique venue where a who’s who of baseball players played.
In the late 80’s and early 90’s I saw quite a few Southern League games at historic Tinker Field. Photo R. Anderson
Think of almost any baseball player from the 20th Century, and odds are pretty good that they stepped foot on the infield grass of Tinker Field at one time or another.
Historic moments at Tinker Field were not limited to just baseball, however. Martin Luther King, Jr. even spoke once at Tinker Field.
The last professional affiliated baseball at Tinker Field occurred in 1999 with the Orlando Rays, who were the Double-A farm team for the Tampa Bay Rays.
While the Orlando Rays were the last of the Southern League teams to call Tinker Field home, they certainly weren’t the only ones.
The Orlando Twins, Orlando Cubs and Orlando Sun Rays were among the many teams to call Tinker Field home.
The Orlando Juice of the Senior Professional Baseball Association even spent a season in the shadow of the Citrus Bowl.
Eventually, it was the shadowy neighbor looming over right field that signed Tinker Field’s death warrant.
A massive expansion is planned for the Citrus Bowl that will greatly widen its footprint. Unfortunately, this widening will creep into right field to the point that Tinker Field can no longer function as a baseball field, due to an outfield depth that would make a Little Leaguer feel like Barry Bonds sending everything he hits over the fence.
So, despite being declared a national historic site, Tinker Field will likely soon meet the fate of many ballparks before it and be torn down in the name of progress.
There is still a small glimmer of hope that the ballpark structure can be saved. There are petitions and social media campaigns already in full swing.
In the event that cries from the Tinker fans fall on deaf ears, a halfhearted attempt to appease fans who will miss the ballpark by creating a new Tinker Field a few hundred yards away on the site of a current softball field has been floated by local officials.
Still, despite calling the new ballpark Tinker Field, there will never be another Tinker Field and every effort should be made to preserve the historic grandstand and related facilities.
If the wrecking ball does come, Tinker Field will become the third ballpark where I attended games at to be torn down. Despite missing Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, and Baseball City Stadium in Haines City, Florida, the loss of Tinker Field hits the hardest.
Tinker Field was where my mom and I spent many afternoons and evenings together watching games, despite it being in a part of town where one did not want to really venture too far away from the safety of the ballpark lights.
This ticket stub allowed me to meet one of my baseball heroes, Earl Weaver, along the third base line of Tinker Field.
Tinker Field was also where I walked onto the field before an Orlando Juice game and met the late Earl Weaver on the third base line.
For a life-long Baltimore Orioles fan like myself, spending a few minutes chatting with the “Earl of Baltimore” on a baseball diamond was like my own Field of Dreams moment.
I met many other players at Tinker Field through the years with some of them making it to the Majors and others relegated to a career of being bused from game to game in the Minor Leagues.
Although I saw numerous Spring Training games at Tinker Field, it was Minor League Baseball that really grabbed my attention and stoked the desires of younger me to work in sports promotions at a ballpark.
During our trips to Tinker Field my mom and I were often joined for a few innings by team president Pat Williams, who was also the General Manager of the Orlando Magic at the time, and I used to think how cool it would be to be a team executive getting paid to watch baseball.
I have yet to fully realize that dream of spending all of my summer nights as a Minor League Baseball employee but I may yet before all is said and done and when I do it will be because of those nights at Tinker Field.
I last visited Tinker Field in 1999 during a University of Central Florida football game. At the time, UCF played at the Citrus Bowl; since it did not have a stadium of its own yet.
During a pregame tailgate, I learned that the souvenir stand at Tinker Field was open, since the Rays were moving to a ballpark at Walt Disney World and the team was selling all of their merchandise to avoid moving it to the new facility.
During my last visit to Tinker Field in 1999 I was fitted by sight for this hat. Sadly, the hat no longer fits but the memory of getting it remains as vivid as ever. Photo R. Anderson
I ended up getting an Orlando Rays fitted cap. To this day, I am amazed that the seasoned ballpark employee correctly guessed my hat size just by looking at me.
I am sure the cap vendor had done the same thing thousands of times but it was fascinating to me that he had that skill.
I don’t know what happened to that vendor but I like to think he lived out his remaining years comfortably after his days at the ballpark were over randomly telling people on the street how big their heads were.
I am also amazed that in the years since my already large head grew to the point where I can no longer comfortably wear the fitted wool cap.
In the end, the Orlando Rays’ time at Walt Disney World was short lived and the team moved to Montgomery, Alabama and became known as the Biscuits.
To this day, there are still no Minor League Baseball teams in Orlando making the decision to tear down a nearly 100 year old Ballpark an easier pill to swallow for some.
Others point to the peeling paint and overworked plumbing as reasons that it is best to raze the ballpark instead of spending money to preserve it and bring it up to current code.
I knew that the day would come when Tinker Field would be torn down in the name of progress. I had hoped that the day was further into the future, but I knew deep down that people in government do not seem to always value their history and often times the bulldozer wins out over preserving the past.
In Houston, people are dealing with a similar potential loss of a treasured sports fixture as the pending demolition of the Astrodome seems all but certain.
In Atlanta, fans of the Braves of preparing for the loss of 20-year-old Turner Field in the name of progress.
A few years back, even Yankee Stadium, of Babe Ruth fame, was torn down. So, I know that the loss of Tinker Field is not totally out of line with the rest of the world of sports, but it is still sad day.
Even though the Astrodome, Yankee Stadium, and Turner Field cannot compete with the intimacy of Tinker Field, fans of those venues are justified in feeling their loss just as strongly.
But as I have said before, the loss of the physical building, while difficult, does not take away the memories that occurred in those facilities.
I can close my eyes and still picture Tinker Field the way I remember it. I prefer to think of it like it was and not like the neglected facility it became.
I guess the morale of the story is to treasure your brick and mortar ballparks while you can while building up memories that can last long after the ballparks are gone.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some ballpark preservation petitions to sign.
Few can argue that the Houston Astros on field performance last season was abysmal at best and criminally negligent at worst with a group of unproven young prospects being thrust into the roles of Major League Baseball players and proceeding to lose more games than any other Astros team before them had done.
To be fair it was not the fault of the players that they were put into the situation of being over matched throughout much of the 162 game Major League Baseball season and the past few seasons have each included over 100 losses.
The players fought hard and are certainly to be commended for how they handled the cards they were dealt and while there were certainly many cringe worthy moments there were also a few moments that helped give hope for things to come.
Empty seats and losing records are both common these days at Minute Maid Park. Photo by R. Anderson
In fact the hope for better things to come and be patient with us as we rebuild lines became the mantra that the Astros front office repeated time and time again.
Tired of watching the Astros lose? Be patient with us as we rebuild and hope for better things to come management would reply.
With abysmal performance on the field, and the lowest payroll in all of baseball, one would think that the sole focus of the team’s management during the offseason would be improving on field performance. They would be wrong.
Instead of focusing on the on field issues that made the baseball team representing the nation’s fourth largest city a laughingstock, the current ownership is suing the former ownership for breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation or omission and civil conspiracy.
As part of buying the Astros two years ago the current ownership group also purchased a 46 percent share in CSN Houston from the former team ownership group.
Once upon a time under the old regime there was a Ballpark with a train and a grand view of the Houston skyline. Photo R. Anderson
CSN Houston is the channel that airs all of the Astros games as part of the team’s regional sports partnership.
Currently CSN Houston is still only viewed by about 40 percent of the Houston market. This is an issue when one takes into account the new nature of baseball where teams count on revenue from television deals to help fund the day to day operations of the franchise.
The more money a team receives from television, the more money they can spend on players who then appear on the television. Or so the business model goes.
During a news conference at Minute Maid Park last week the current Astros owner stated that the ball club has lost tens of millions of dollars and “perhaps hundreds” of millions because of a business plan for the television network that was based on what they feel are “inflated numbers” by the former Astros owner and others involved in the ownership group of the network.
Now it has been awhile since I owned my own company but I am pretty sure that running a business has not changed that much in the last decade to the point where one could not tell if they were losing tens of millions of dollars or hundreds of millions of dollars.
If the current ownership of the Astros cannot tell the difference then boys and girls the problems at the ballpark built at the old train station are bigger than we all thought.
And of course in the return volley between feuding millionaires the former Astros owner countered by saying that his representatives dealt “fairly and openly” with requests for information going on to say that “Any suggestion otherwise is absolutely false.”
For his part the current owner has said that his team went deep into the books of the team prior to purchasing the team.
Under the current Astros leadership the view of the skyline has been replaced by billboards that seem better suited for the side of the road as opposed to a Major League Ballpark. Photo R. Anderson
So if the books were looked at and the team was still purchased it would seem to me that the new ownership was happy with what they saw.
Two years after the fact when things are not going their way under the current watch it seems counterproductive to blame issues on prior management.
Of course this is exactly what seems to happen these days. Take for example the world of college football.
Coaches usually have a two or three year window where they can blame poor results on the previous coach since the players on the field were recruited by a previous regime.
In Washington D.C. it is common to blame things going poorly on a previous Presidential administration.
Of course, in the event that a new coach wins with someone else’s recruits or a new president finds success with the policies of their predecessor credit is really given to those or set them up for success.
So it is with the current situation the Astros find themselves in.
Time after time I have heard the current ownership group say what a mess the farm system was left in by the previous owners. And yes, an argument could be made that after years of neglect an overall of the farm system was needed.
But had the farm system been left in a pristine condition it is highly unlikely that any credit would be given by the current owners to the former owners.
Indeed it is far easier to blame issues on others than to look in the mirror and see that perhaps the issue lies within.
After two years under the new ownership group the Astros really are in no better shape than they were under the former regime.
In fact one could argue that they are actually in worse shape with drops in attendance and 60 percent of the fan base unable to watch any of the games from home.
And of course for those fans who do make it to the ballpark they are greeted by increased ticket prices, dynamic ticket pricing for the popular games, and an obstructed view of the Houston skyline thanks to billboards that look better suited for a Minor League Ballpark than a Major League Ballpark.
I am not qualified to pick sides as to whether the owner of Astros past or the owner of Astros present is to blame for the current state of the team.
It very well could be that the former ownership group is to blame for the current state of the franchise.
It could just as easily be that the current ownership has bit off more than they can chew and feels that blaming the former owners is the best way to draw attention away from that.
I do know that unless something changes soon the owner of Astros future will be brought in and no one will get a holiday goose.
Okay, perhaps that was a bit too much Charles Dickens for one night.
Victorian literature references aside, it will be up to the courts to decide whose side is the most truthful in the tale of two owners and whether it will be the best of times, or the worst of times.
Until then the offseason for the Astros will be as muddy as the regular season with finger pointing, accusations and pleas for fans to be patient and to temper their great expectations.
There is of course a shelf life on patience and for many fans who have watched beloved traditions fall by the wayside that expiration date is quickly approaching and one does not need to be visited by three spirits to see that.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have the urge to read some Dickens for some reason.
Yesterday was the first day of fall, or autumn if you prefer.
Fall is the time when temperatures and leaves both start to drop.
Fall is also the time when pumpkins and nutmeg make their yearly appearance in everything from pies to beverages at various restaurants.
Fall is also a time when the summer clothes get put away and the sweaters and jackets come out.
Of course despite the calendar saying that fall is here and temperatures should be falling it tends to arrive in different parts of the country at different times.
I was recently reminded of this fact over the weekend while watching some college football games.
While the fans in the stadiums of many of the games were wearing their fall best as temperatures were likely in the 60’s I was sitting in shorts and a t-shirt and experiencing 80 degrees outside.
Despite fall’s arrival throughout much of the country for Gulf Coast residents fall does not arrive until late October or early November most years.
As much as I would love to be enjoying the flavors of fall such as soups and pumpkin flavored coffees it is still way to hot to even think about any of that here. With temperatures still forecast to hit the 90’s this week the calendar telling me it is the first day of fall does not really mean anything to me.
So while I still need to wait a bit for the fall temperatures to arrive there is no lack of excitement on the baseball schedule to keep me entertained while I wait for the autumn chill.
Time will tell if DJ Kitty and the Tampa Bay Rays make it back to the postseason for the fourth time in five years. Photo R. Anderson
Starting today there are only seven days left in the regular season of Major League Baseball as teams jockey for position to be included in the Fall Classic known as the World Series.
Some teams have already clinched a spot in the postseason while others are still battling for their ticket to the postseason.
Perhaps no where is that neck and neck race more intense than in the American League Wildcard race.
The Tampa Bay Rays hold a half game lead over the Cleveland Indians for the top spot in the Wildcard race. So, if the season ended today the Rays would host the Indians in a one-game winner takes all wildcard showdown at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Of course, the season does not end today and the Rays have seven games left to play in the regular season. After finishing the series with the Baltimore Orioles today the Rays have three games against the Yankees in New York and three games north of the border against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Indians have six games left in the season with a home set against the Chicago White Sox and a road series against the Minnesota Twins.
The Tampa Bay Rays are seven games away from getting to add to their banner collection. Photo R. Anderson
On paper the Rays have a more difficult schedule remaining over the Indians who were able to pad their push to the Wildcard with a sweep over the Houston “yes, we really are still a Major League team” Astros.
Photo R. Anderson
The Texas Rangers who were the second Wildcard team until a few days ago will hope that a series against the Astros helps restore their postseason hopes as they have been in a tailspin in Kansas City falling to the Royals on consecutive days.
While the Wildcard round certainly allows more teams to make the postseason it certainly makes for some long fall nights watching the games and pulling for teams to win and others to lose.
So while the rest of the country takes out those fall sweaters and windbreakers I will be rolling out the Tampa Bay Rays rally t-shirts and polo shirts and watching a lot of games on television.
Once the dust is settled and the playoff teams have been identified there will be time to think about all of those fall scents and flavors. Until then it is still time for the Boys of Summer to play a little longer.
Now if you’ll excuse me all of this talk about the flavors of fall has me craving a pumpkin flavored beverage.
Copyright 2013 R. Anderson
Covering the world of baseball one pitch at a time.
Southpaw Musings 