Hola amigos. Sorry I haven't rapped at 'ya in a while, but there has been all kinds of craziness going on. THE CHECK, as always, has been keeping me busy and stressed and now both of my boys are starting up in their baseball leagues. My oldest son made his junior high baseball team after two weeks (!) of tryouts. It turns out that 40 kids were vying for 8 spots on the squad, and he was one of 8 selected. My youngest son will be starting his first year of kid-pitch, meaning no more pitching machines. For being 10, he's got a cannon for an arm. He throws harder than I did at 16. Or at 36, for that matter. Anyway, all of this baseball business cuts down on my blogging time. Along with youth baseball, here are some other things that have kept me from blogging:
1. Watching Twins. Off to 13-6 start. The scary thing about the Twins great start is that I don't believe they are playing that well. Let me explain. While Joe Mauer (.382), Justin Morneau (.368) and Michael Cuddyer (17 RBI's) are off to a great start, other key players are struggling. Leadoff man Denard Span is hitting .230, DH Jason Kubel is at .169 (!), and shortstop J.J. Hardy, while playing great defense, is hitting a paltry .214. To make matters worse, the team is hitting .148 with the bases loaded. The pitching (3.59 team ERA) and fielding (2 overall errors) have been outstanding, however. Once the Twins get Span, Kubel and Hardy going, along with getting some key hits with men on base, they could be scary. Then again, there is no guarantee the pitching and fielding will hold up. I do know that it's going to be a fun summer watching these guys.
2. Watching Mad Men. OK. I have been purposely trying not to become obsessed by another television series. The last time this happened, I watched the entire Band of Brothers HBO series over the course of 2 days and had dreams that I was fighting in WWII. It's happened again, however. I'm hooked on Mad Men. For those of you who have not watched Mad Men, it's a series about Madison Avenue Advertising Executives in the early 1960's. Let's just say life was a little different back then. Smoking 3 packs a day, drinking scotch during business meetings, etc. And how the men treat the women at the office would not fly at THE CHECK in the 21st century. The series, however, is mesmerizing. The look and feel of the early 1960's is spot on (from what I hear). The characters are all largely unlikable, morally bankrupt individuals searching for the American Dream (i.e material goods) of the 1950's/1960's. The lead character, Don Draper, is a suave, successful, charming, handsome man who has a knack for advertising. He is also soulless, harbors unthinkable secrets and cheats on his wife repeatedly without a second thought. The rest of the characters are not much better. For some reason, the viewer ends up cheering for a few of them. Not all of them, however. My wife and I have watched three entire seasons worth of Mad Men over the past few weeks. We're hooked. I'm still waiting for the dreams that I am an early-1960's Ad Executive, which would be much better than the WWII dreams.
3. Scouring the News for Sasquatch Updates. We're in a dry spell, folks. Where, oh where is the stink ape? It must be mating season or something. There is news on the alien front, however. British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking claims that extraterrestrial life is out there, and it might be too dangerous for humans to interact with them. He speculates most extraterrestrial life will be similar to microbes, or small animals - but adds advanced lifeforms may be "nomads, looking to conquer and colonize." That would be truly bad news. I always expected something like an alien invasion or The Rapture to happen right before my first trip to Target Field. You know, bright sunny day, ready for the opening pitch, and the aliens invade. I'm really glad that didn't happen.
4. Waiting Patiently for New Tunes. Geez, talk about a dry spell. I'm ready to start listening to my old Hall and Oates tapes. Have no fear, however. In May, The National and The Hold Steady release new albums. I like what I hear from the Hold Steady's upcoming release. Check out this new tune from the band of former Minnesotans called The Sweet Part of the City. It's a different sound - part blues, part Rolling Stones. On top of that, I just heard DEVO is going to be playing at the Minnesota Zoo. Like I said, it's going to be a good summer.
Jeff
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Day Is Almost Here
I've been checking Monday's weather forecast online about every half-hour today. It hasn't rained in days, and today (Sunday) feels like June - 70 degrees and sunny. The forecast for Monday's Twins opener at Target Field, however, calls for scattered showers and Thunderstorms.
Of course.
But you know what? It doesn't matter. This is a day that I have been waiting for since the 1980's. Outdoor baseball returns to Minnesota. A chance of a little rain won't ruin this moment. Plus, I'd rather have the threat of rain rather than the assurance of a roof. I will be in attendance to witness the official opening of the stadium.
I realize that I am a little (or a lot) over the top when it comes to baseball and this stadium stuff. There is something about the game of baseball that makes me very sentimental. The nation is in love with football, but football just makes me nervous and angry. Baseball is a game that was built for a slower time. It not all "life or death." Hey, you win 2 out of 3? Great! In football, if a team loses it's first game, they're screwed. George Carlin did a monologue about this.
I think I got my love of baseball from my dad. He was a hell of a baseball player back in his day. Growing up, I was always a little bummed that I wasn't a better player. I was an OK pitcher and a pretty good outfielder. I couldn't hit to save my life, however. I was a BAD hitter. He would come and watch me play in Little League and my first year of Babe Ruth baseball, but then he passed away before my second year of Babe Ruth baseball. The fact that he was such a good baseball player, and I loved the game so much, led to this sentimentality that I feel towards the game today. Baseball is something that father's and sons (or daughters) can use to connect with each other. Have you seen the end of Field of Dreams? I'm talking about when Kevin Cosner's character is playing catch with the ghost of his dad? I've seen it about 10 times and never with dry eyes.
Because of this sentimentality, it was hard watching baseball in the Metrodome over the past 28 years. Sentimental it ain't. Teflon roof, plastic everywhere. It was like playing baseball in your basement. But that is the past.
It's time for a new era to begin. Real grass. The sun. Clouds. And, yes, some rain. Target Field, to me, is the correction of a huge mistake. But sometimes it takes those mistakes to make you appreciate what is good.
Play ball!
Of course.
But you know what? It doesn't matter. This is a day that I have been waiting for since the 1980's. Outdoor baseball returns to Minnesota. A chance of a little rain won't ruin this moment. Plus, I'd rather have the threat of rain rather than the assurance of a roof. I will be in attendance to witness the official opening of the stadium.
I realize that I am a little (or a lot) over the top when it comes to baseball and this stadium stuff. There is something about the game of baseball that makes me very sentimental. The nation is in love with football, but football just makes me nervous and angry. Baseball is a game that was built for a slower time. It not all "life or death." Hey, you win 2 out of 3? Great! In football, if a team loses it's first game, they're screwed. George Carlin did a monologue about this.
I think I got my love of baseball from my dad. He was a hell of a baseball player back in his day. Growing up, I was always a little bummed that I wasn't a better player. I was an OK pitcher and a pretty good outfielder. I couldn't hit to save my life, however. I was a BAD hitter. He would come and watch me play in Little League and my first year of Babe Ruth baseball, but then he passed away before my second year of Babe Ruth baseball. The fact that he was such a good baseball player, and I loved the game so much, led to this sentimentality that I feel towards the game today. Baseball is something that father's and sons (or daughters) can use to connect with each other. Have you seen the end of Field of Dreams? I'm talking about when Kevin Cosner's character is playing catch with the ghost of his dad? I've seen it about 10 times and never with dry eyes.
Because of this sentimentality, it was hard watching baseball in the Metrodome over the past 28 years. Sentimental it ain't. Teflon roof, plastic everywhere. It was like playing baseball in your basement. But that is the past.
It's time for a new era to begin. Real grass. The sun. Clouds. And, yes, some rain. Target Field, to me, is the correction of a huge mistake. But sometimes it takes those mistakes to make you appreciate what is good.
Play ball!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Greet Machine
For those of you who don't know the story behind this blog, the title "What Jeff Thinks" might seem a bit narcissistic. Upon stumbling on this blog, you might have thought "who the hell is Jeff and who cares what he thinks?" You might have read this blog a 100 times and still think that. I, however, did not create or name this blog.
My wife created this blog and named it for me back in December of 2006. I had spent much of the prior decade expounding to her and anyone who would listen on the need for a new Twins stadium. In May 2006, Minnesota entered a parallel universe and a bill was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Pawlently that called for (FINALLY!) a new ballpark to be built. So my wife basically created and named this blog for me so I'd have an outlet to talk about the stadium rather than bothering her. Around the time my wife created this blog, however, there happened to be a little Land Squabble between Hennepin County and the owners of the Rapid Park site which threatened to kill the Twins stadium bill. I almost lost my mind. It is a good thing for my mental health that I had this blog as an outlet, as I thought there was nobody else out there that knew the details of this Land Squabble or felt the pain like I did.
That is when I discovered The Greet Machine.
I happened upon The Greet Machine and found there were was another individual out there that not only knew the details better than me, he personally knew some of the people involved with the passage of the Twins bill and who were involved in the Land Squabble! I started reading this blog almost hourly for updates! I felt that my blog was inadequate compared to The Greet Machine (except for Sasquatch news). There was literally no better place to find in-depth news on this Land Squabble, and what it meant for the creation of a new Twins ballpark.
It is through commenting on The Greet Machine that I met it's author, Shane. I also met Freealonzo through Shane's blog as well as Snyder and found some kindred spirits with the Twins ballpark. The four of us will be sharing a half-season of Twins tickets at Target Field for the first time this year. We'll be attending the first exhibition game this Friday and the Season Opener on April 12th. All because of the blogosphere. Pretty cool.
I started to dig deeper into past posts on The Greet Machine and found out that Shane did some incredible work during the actual passage on the Twins ballpark bill in 2006. More than one person has told me that Shane was responsible for polling ALL members of the Minnesota Legislature and he determined that there was the majority vote needed to pass a ballpark bill if the funding source was palatable. He listed who was for and who was against a ballpark bill. It has been rumored that the Twins were ready to scrap their plans for a new ballpark and give up entirely until they were presented with this information from Shane's blog. He also put up with quite a few anti-stadium wing-nuts on his blog.
In fact, I ran into Shane at the ballpark groundbreaking ceremony in 2007 and as we were walking out, a gentlemen approached Shane and asked "don't I know you?" It was Representative Brad Finstad, author of the Twins ballpark bill in the Minnesota Legislature. Finstad thanked Shane for all of his hard work, and said that this ballpark might not be a reality without The Greet Machine. He said that many, many members of the Legislature relied on his blog, and the comments from the public, to gauge public reaction. Many, in fact, trusted the information on this blog more than any public media or polls.
There will be some members of the Legislature, the Ballpark Authority, Hennepin County Commissioners, and other Big Wigs that will be thanked in a ceremony before Friday's game. There is no question that all of these individuals played an instrumental part in getting this ballpark built. When I saw the list of dignitaries, however, I have to admit that I was somewhat shocked not to see Shane from the Greet Machine listed. His blog was an example of a grass-roots, one-man movement that helped sway the opinion of politicians and the Twins themselves. He should be honored with the other individuals who made Target Field possible.
So when you are attending a game at Target Field, please remember Shane and his work on The Greet Machine. Without it, that site still may be an empty parking lot.
Jeff
My wife created this blog and named it for me back in December of 2006. I had spent much of the prior decade expounding to her and anyone who would listen on the need for a new Twins stadium. In May 2006, Minnesota entered a parallel universe and a bill was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Pawlently that called for (FINALLY!) a new ballpark to be built. So my wife basically created and named this blog for me so I'd have an outlet to talk about the stadium rather than bothering her. Around the time my wife created this blog, however, there happened to be a little Land Squabble between Hennepin County and the owners of the Rapid Park site which threatened to kill the Twins stadium bill. I almost lost my mind. It is a good thing for my mental health that I had this blog as an outlet, as I thought there was nobody else out there that knew the details of this Land Squabble or felt the pain like I did.
That is when I discovered The Greet Machine.
I happened upon The Greet Machine and found there were was another individual out there that not only knew the details better than me, he personally knew some of the people involved with the passage of the Twins bill and who were involved in the Land Squabble! I started reading this blog almost hourly for updates! I felt that my blog was inadequate compared to The Greet Machine (except for Sasquatch news). There was literally no better place to find in-depth news on this Land Squabble, and what it meant for the creation of a new Twins ballpark.
It is through commenting on The Greet Machine that I met it's author, Shane. I also met Freealonzo through Shane's blog as well as Snyder and found some kindred spirits with the Twins ballpark. The four of us will be sharing a half-season of Twins tickets at Target Field for the first time this year. We'll be attending the first exhibition game this Friday and the Season Opener on April 12th. All because of the blogosphere. Pretty cool.
I started to dig deeper into past posts on The Greet Machine and found out that Shane did some incredible work during the actual passage on the Twins ballpark bill in 2006. More than one person has told me that Shane was responsible for polling ALL members of the Minnesota Legislature and he determined that there was the majority vote needed to pass a ballpark bill if the funding source was palatable. He listed who was for and who was against a ballpark bill. It has been rumored that the Twins were ready to scrap their plans for a new ballpark and give up entirely until they were presented with this information from Shane's blog. He also put up with quite a few anti-stadium wing-nuts on his blog.
In fact, I ran into Shane at the ballpark groundbreaking ceremony in 2007 and as we were walking out, a gentlemen approached Shane and asked "don't I know you?" It was Representative Brad Finstad, author of the Twins ballpark bill in the Minnesota Legislature. Finstad thanked Shane for all of his hard work, and said that this ballpark might not be a reality without The Greet Machine. He said that many, many members of the Legislature relied on his blog, and the comments from the public, to gauge public reaction. Many, in fact, trusted the information on this blog more than any public media or polls.
There will be some members of the Legislature, the Ballpark Authority, Hennepin County Commissioners, and other Big Wigs that will be thanked in a ceremony before Friday's game. There is no question that all of these individuals played an instrumental part in getting this ballpark built. When I saw the list of dignitaries, however, I have to admit that I was somewhat shocked not to see Shane from the Greet Machine listed. His blog was an example of a grass-roots, one-man movement that helped sway the opinion of politicians and the Twins themselves. He should be honored with the other individuals who made Target Field possible.
So when you are attending a game at Target Field, please remember Shane and his work on The Greet Machine. Without it, that site still may be an empty parking lot.
Jeff
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