August, 2008 | The Baseball Zealot

Wearing their Vintage pride

On Saturday at the second annual Uncle Joe Cannon’s Base Ball Jamboree, I got a couple shots of some of the tee shirts that fans from the visiting vintage base ball teams wear. Quite creative.

This lady crank (that’s the vintage base ball term for fan) was rooting for the St Louis Unions. I love their slogan.

The Chicago Salmon were done before anyone (having defeated all three other teams) so many ditched their 1858 outfits in favor of cooler tee shirts. Their official shirts had a pretty cool sentiment (click for larger version if you can’t read it).

Full report of 2nd annual Uncle Joe Cannon’s Base Ball Jamboree

More photos of 2nd annual Uncle Joe Cannon’s Base Ball Jamboree

Deal between MLB Advanced Media and ESPN may help stream live games

In a new deal between ESPN and MLB Advanced Media, ESPN will have the right to digitally stream baseball games live. No financial details have been announced and what the impact for us, the fan, will be is still up in the air.

That said, I can assure you this will be a money maker for ESPN any way you look at it. The technology to stream live games to mobile devices such as mobile phones and iPods (even gaming consoles) has been here. The only stumbling block was a legal and financial one. For ESPN and MLB Advanced Media, this is the first step to breaking down that barrier.

Interestingly, the rights are worldwide but do not extend to some Asian or Pacific Rim countries.

Some comments from MLB Advanced Media head Bob Bowman and ESPN’s John Skipper may shed some more light on the matter.

Skipper acknowledged that there was some revenue sharing in the last deal. “This deal we’re paying cash for valuable rights.” Bowman wasn’t talking financial details either, saying only, “we believe in our content and we’re grateful that ESPN does, too.”

Or maybe not.

Photos of Uncle Joe Cannon’s Base Ball Jamboree

Saturday, my friend Brando and I went to the Uncle Joe Cannon’s Base Ball Jamboree at Danville Stadium. We saw five hours of glorious (and maybe not so glorious) vintage base ball. Either way, we had a blast!

It was Brando’s first time at a vintage base ball game. It does take some getting used to some of the rules. The most prevalent ones being:

the batter is out if the fielder catches the ball on one bounce runners cannot lead off, steal, slide, and the batter may be tagged if he overruns first base.
infielders (except for the rover) must play on their base till the pitch is thrown.
no walks and strikes are called only when the batter swings and misses.

The Jamboree Participants

The four teams participating in today’s event were (links go to the team’s respective web sites):

It was a round robin tournament where each tournament where each team would play the other once. The tournament began on time at 11;00 with the host team Voles taking on the Salmon.

I’ve never been much good for remembering scores at vintage base ball events. To me, that’s not the attraction of the game. I suppose that’s a good thing when the Voles, the hosts and the team I follow, give up 17 runs in the first three innings of the first game against the mighty Chicago Salmon. The Salmon had a knack for hitting line drives that just wouldn’t bounce up so the Voles fielders could catch them on the first bounce. The game was thankfully called via the mercy rule. To their credit, the Voles were playing with many of their squad gone. More Voles showed up later for their games against the Juniors and the Unions.

Before we get to more photos, I would like to thank Brando for coming with me for the day. It made the day that much more fun. Also thanks to host team captain Jim Knoblauch who doubled as arbiter for much of the day. It’s my guess that a lot of the planning for the day fell on him, too. Great job!

Also, thanks to tally-keeper Ed “Hambone” Hamilton and alternate arbiter Robert Hous both who did a excellent job. Oh, and thanks to Jim’s wife Joyce who scored me a tournament pin (you see a scanned image of it at the top of this post). The pins were handed out to the players but she was real nice and gave me one too.

And thanks to the players too!

Some more photos (you can see a whole bunch more at the Photo Gallery):

The two faces of Voles’ team captain Jim Knoblauch

Ballist…

…and later, arbiter.

A few grim faced gentleman who were members of the Chicago Salmon. They were actually nice and were a heckuva ball team. They won all three of their games.

The Chicago Salmon men were a great team and all but they don’t fool me. This woman was the real boss. She would sit in their dugout and fan herself. With her sharp tongue, she would yell encouragements to the Salmon players and sometimes tell the arbiter how she thought things should be run.

My buddy Brando striking a pose with the bat they use in vintage base ball.

A close up of the bat label (click to enlarge).

Hey, there’s Zealot friend (and Voles’ webmaster) Shawn “General” Lee as hurler for the Voles against the New Baden Juniors!

He also drove in a run with a two-base hit in that game. When I gave him congrats on that after the game, self-deprecating Shawn pointed out that he was probably responsible for nine of New Baden’s eleven runs. oops. Nice hit anyway, Shawn!

The look of intensity on this Vole ballist as he runs to first base is amazing.

The Unions catch a New Baden runner in a pickle.

A Vole hurler was hit squarely on the chest by a hit ball during the New Baden contest. Within a minute, he was up and tossin’ the onion once again.

New Baden players salute with the traditional “Huzzah” at the end of the game.

Once more, there are more photos at the Baseball Zealot Photo Gallery. Tons of photos.

(8/25/08) As an added bonus, I’ve just added a (slightly jerky) video of the Vermilion Voles introducing themselves before their game with the New Baden Juniors. You can see it here.

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BALLPARK

Elvis has left the ballpark and he took with him my six game winning streak, which is all gone. Though my streak was only against KC & SEA, it was still a streak, you have to beat the bad teams.

It was Elvis night out at the Cell, took the L down with Mom & Dad, got there just as the gates opened. Listened to an Elvis impersonator before going inside. Introduced the folks to all my friends at the ballpark, Tade brought his uncles (John & Joe), Dick & Bea were there, so were Terry & Bubba.

Before the game there was a very nice tribute to Andy the cameraman. His camera was laid on the field, covered with a teeshirt with the number one & AndyCam on the back, surrounded by his family, the scoreboard featured a montage of his life at the ballpark with his camera. He really seemed to love his job, smiling in every picture, far too young to go, 52, my age. There was a moment of silence and a standing ovation.

The Rays opened the game by putting runners on second & third with nobody out. John Danks fielded a bleeder between home and the pitcher’s mound, sprinted toward home, and dove fullout, tagging the runner out, A.J. had gone out to try to field the ball. Moments later Pierzynski would get his opportunity to tag out a runner at the dish, on the tail end of a 7-2 DP to end the top of one, remarkably without any runs scoring.

The Sox didn’t score in the first as with two out and the bases loaded, Edwin Jackson got Alexei Ramirez to popup. Then in the 2nd inning, Ken Griffey, Jr. didn’t challenge centerfielder B.J. (Bossman Junior) Upton’s arm on a single by Orlando Cabrera, with Griffey on 2nd after a double, Chicago stranded two more.

Finally in the 4th Nick Swisher went yard for a two run bomb. Swisher wore an Elvis wig on the field before & after the game. The Sox then squandered two base runners in the 4th, when both Juan Uribe & Cabrera were caught.

Chicago trailed 3-2 in the 7th when Danks was relieved by Matt Thornton, Matt got Carlos Pena swinging with two on and two out. But Octavio Dotel resembled Fat Elvis when he allowed three runs in the 8th, then Horacio Ramirez was nothing but a Hound Dogs when he surrendered three more in the 9th. Adam Russell came on to close the barn door, but the horse was long gone. Alexei Ramirez hit a two run rocket to left in the 8th, but there was no way to overcome the bullpen imploding.

Final score, Bad Guys win it, 9-4.

The fireworks after the game, done to Elvis songs, were tremendous! Then there were Flying Elvi parachuting onto the field. Lotsa fans dressed up, you can get a sample at www.whitesox.com/fanfoto gallery 70 (me, Tade, & Dick each have a picture on the board).

I’m going to miss the last two games of this series with the Rays, leaving early in the morning for California, won’t be back at the Cell till September 5th.

So I’ll give a big shout out, LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!

Another ex-Mariner caught

Isn’t it ironic that on the day that Ken Griffey Jr ties Sammy Sosa for fifth on the all-time home run list that MLB punishes another former major leaguer named Sosa for performance enhancing drugs? This one Jorge Sosa, the righthanded pitcher who currently is in the Mariner organization was found positive for amphetamines.

Ok, off on a tangent here… I’ve said this before but unlike many Cub fans, I’ve never had a grudge against Sammy. Despite the fact that he could have handled a lot of things a whole lot better in his latter days with the Cubs, to me his legacy includes his 545 homeruns and 1414 rbis.

As for Jorge Sosa, what is it with all the former Seattle Mariners getting caught with PEDs? First it was Ryan Franklin back in 2005 then Jose Guillen last year. Now Jorge Sosa.

It’s not rocket science. They are testing the players. If it’s in their system like it or not, they will notice.

Oh, congrats to you, Junior. I still like you even if you went to the Sox.

The "Boo" stands for Booze

Looks like former MLB pitcher Hideki Irabu had a little too much to drink Wednesday night.

Irabu, 39, became angered after his credit card was rejected. He then allegedly pushed the bartender against the wall, pulled his hair and smashed at least nine liquor bottles at a bar in Osaka…

Irabu allegedly pounded down 20 mugs of beer before the incident.

Zambrano bucks a trend

It was close but the Cubs beat the Reds today. It was the first time this season that the Cubs have won a game that Carlos Zambrano has hit a homer. That’s a good trend to buck. When a friend from work came into my office and informed me the Cubs were up 3-0 and Big Z hit one out, I got a little nervous.

But all ended well and the Cubs ended winning the game and the series. They are now 5 1/2 up on the Brew Crew.

Ask Lou

In other news, there’s an article on MLB.com about how the Cubs feel about the instant replay issue. The interesting thing is that didn’t ask Lou Piniella. Maybe they know how he feels about the issue.

Former Illini Robinson interviewed by Chicago Trib

Chris Robinson who was a catcher for the University of Illinois and played for Team Canada in this year’s Olympics, did a Q&A for the Chicago Tribune.

I was a bit puzzled by the Trib’s last question though.

Q: Cubs vs. Tigers, World Series. Who do you root for?

Umm, considering that Robbie is currently on the roster of the Cubs Double-A team, the Tennessee Smokies, I would hope he would choose the Cubs. Of course, he did.

SAD DAY AT CELL, DESPITE 15-3 WIN

Andy the cameraman had a heart attack today and sadly to say, he did not survive. He was the stout man, with the camera on his shoulder, that everybody loved. Andy was everybody’s friend, today he had 50 family members with him at the ballpark. He wasn’t feeling well, was hot, but wasn’t in any pain, until the heart attack. Nancy Faust commented, she’d often eat lunch with Andy, at his table, but today his table was too crowded for her to join him, he’d e-mailed Nancy’s husband only yesterday, wanting him to do a project for him. Caramel-Corn Mike was shaken upon learning of Andy’s death, Andy stopped by everygame to chat. This post is made in memory of Andy the cameraman.

Chicago jumped out to an early 3-0 lead as the first five batters reached base safely before R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball retired Nick Swisher. Alexei Ramirez showed he’s more than just a fastball hitter as he doubled the lead to 6-0 when he launched a three run bomb to left.

Ken Griffey, Jr. hit number 609 of his career to tie Sammy Sosa. It was his first as a member of the White Sox. His second inning two run blast to right made it 8-0.

Once again Chicago put another crooked number on the board in the 5th. With a run already in, A.J. Pierzynski ripped a three run monster drive deep to right. A.J. might have gotten the dayoff, except that Toby Hall was injured when Jermaine Dye karate chopped him after receiving a shaving cream pie.

The Pale Hose scored at least one run in the first six innings, 15 runs in all, four home runs (Nick Swisher had a solo shot), all this with Jim Thome and Dye getting the afternoon off.

Gavin Floyd was on cruise control, allowing the runs over six innings. Horacio Ramirez threw a scoreless frame and Adam Russell threw two to close it out. 15-3 Good Guys, a sweep, and a six game win streak, on back-to-back sweeps for me.

This was the last weekday day game of the season at the Cell. A lot of the homeplate regulars were in the house, Tade, Dick & Bea, Steve, Rob, Terry (been a long time), Caramel-Corn Mike, and of course – me. Nancy Faust makes any game extra special!

Next home game is Friday night, Elvis Night, I’m even bringing Mom & Dad. It’ll be my last game till after Labor Day. Saturday I’m flying to California, then spending the Labor Day weekend in Wisconsin.

RICHARD gets THE FIRST career win over KING FELIX

If you’d have told me there was going to be a 5-0 shutout tossed tonite in the game between the Sox and Mariners, I’d have thought we were going to be in for a rough night, especially if I was given the inside scoop that the Mariners were going to have runners at the corners, with nobody out in the very first inning, with Ichiro the runner on 3rd, I’d have bet the farm on the M’s. There’s no way I’d have thought Clayton Richard, he of nine point something ERA would pitch a combined shutout over Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. Richard got Ichiro to hit a comebacker to open the game, bobbled it, threw wildly to first, allowing Ichiro to reach second base. Miguel Cairo then singled to right. Raul Ibanez grounded sharply to firstbase, Nick Swisher stepped on the bag, and fired a strike to A.J. Pierzynski who applied the tag on a sliding Ichiro to complete the doubleplay. After Clayton walked Adrian Beltre, he retired the side by getting Jose Lopez on a groundball force out to Juan “Brooks” Uribe who stepped on third.

The White Sox got on the board in the 2nd when Ken Griffey, Jr. nailed a sacrifice fly to Ichiro in deep rightfield, plating Jim Thome who opened the inning with a ringing double to center and went to 3rd on an Alexei Ramirez single.

Chicago extended the lead to 3-0, scoring twice in the 3rd. The first run coming on back-to-back doubles by A.J. Pierzynski & Carlos Quinten. Then with one out and Thome at the dish Quinten stole third. Seattle elected to pitch around Thome, intentionally walking him after falling behind 3-0, Ramirez promptly singled, scoring Quinten with run number two of the inning.

Again it looked like Seattle might get on the board in the 4th when Beltre ripped a leadoff double, Lopez grounded him to thirdbase, where he was stranded when Richard buckled down to strikeout Wladimir Balentien and get Kenji Johjima on a popout to short. Nick Swisher added to the Sox lead with a long drive into the rightfield stands. It looked like Chicago would score more in inning number four as Juan Uribe sharply hit a groundball of Hernandez’s foot for a single. OC followed that up with a double, that possibly could’ve scored Uribe, but thirdbase coach Jeff Cox held him up, not wanting to make the first out at home. It was a decision I wholeheartedly agreed with, until Chicago’s next three batters failed to move the runners. Still it was 4-0, but would stranding these runners come back to haunt them?

In the 5th with one out Yuniesky Betancourt bounced a one out grounder to third where Uribe, who couldn’t get a good handle on the ball, and thew to first too late for an error. That brought up Ichiro with one out & one on. Brooks Uribe drove toward the hole, cutting off a hard hit groundball ticketed for leftfield, and turned it into a forceout. Jim Thome put one on the board, leading off the bottom of the 5th, by clubbing one high & deep to right, to the delight of his father, who once again was in attendance.

Clayton Richard once again got out of a jam in the sixth, allowing a leadoff double to Ibanez, Raul had to stop at third, when Quinten fired the sphere toward the plate with two on a Balentien single to left. Johjima followed with a linedrive to Quinten in left to put an end to Richard’s night. Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel, & Bobby Jenks each worked a scoreless inning to preserve the combined shutout. Thornton was most impressive, not allowing a runner, striking out one, while hitting 97 on the gun.

Al & his wife (Dick & Bea’s friends, not Anthony’s parents) were in attendance, along with Tade, and another friend Phil. Final score Good Guys five, Seattle zip. Tomorrow is the last weekday daygame, then an offday, before Elvis Night on Friday. My winning streak is at five games, with another sweep a possibility, and holding on to first place over the Twins by one game.