In Which My Sports Related Ire Is Evoked

If this story is true, and I have little reason to believe it isn't, I am angry.

Let's get this straight. We traded the best pitcher in baseball for four guys who haven't seen an inning of major league baseball. And, we didn't even get the best guy that the Mets had to offer.

How could this have happened??!! In December there were packages led by Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester and Phil Hughes. And now we get four no-names that MAY AT SOME POINT be ready for the major leagues?

I'm too upset to type more.

So This Is The New Year...

*strums guitar*

"...and I don't feel any different."

Seriously--how else was I going to start my first post of 2008? Besides, Death Cab for Cutie deserve my advertising--and they've got a new album set to release in May of this year.

Lots of other things to say, many of which could fill a post of their own..but who's got the time? So, without further ado, here's another edition of the Speckled Mind's often-imitated but never duplicated "Bits and Pieces."

1. Jess and I celebrated our five year anniversary yesterday. She makes me happy in ways I can't express in words. My speechlessness should be evidence enough of how remarkable a woman she is.
2. Speaking of Jess, she was typing an email the other day that referenced 'Bethel.' The dictionary didn't recognize that word, and in its place suggested she change it to 'Brothel.' This confirms many of the suspicions I had about the undergrad female dress code while I was employed there.
3. I got a lot of comments on my post about meeting Bono. But none of them funnier than this one from Peter:
   

   tim - i don't know you, i'm friends with matt glatzel. but i have to say that meeting bono is cool, even if you did end you post with some of the worst writing bono's ever done. that's the shittiest u2 song ever.
   

   Well, 'Peter whom I don't know', there were a number of U2 song titles that just didn't make the thematic cut. "Where the Streets Have No Name" seemed silly because it happened on the corner of F and 2nd. "Mysterious Ways" was also a bad choice--Bono seemed like a pretty normal guy. "With or Without You" seemed a bit melodramatic for the occasion. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" would have been odd because the incident happened on a relatively peaceful Friday afternoon. I could go on and on here Peter. The point is that the title fit the theme I was shooting for, regardless of the song's relative 'shittiness' in comparison to others Bono has written.
   
4. Thanks to all who read and commented on my Best of 2007 music blog. I enjoyed all of your comments immensely and appreciated those of you who took time to craft a list of your own. 2007 was a great year for music; I'm looking forward to many new releases in 2008; among them--Anathallo, Death Cab for Cutie, and Counting Crows (first new LP in 6 years!).
5. I really hope the Twins trade Santana soon so I can get on with the rest of my life. Please, please, please don't blow this, Bill Smith. Please.
6. Speaking of Baseball, The first Twins spring training game is less than 8 weeks away. Not that my favorite squad will necessarily be a contender this year. I'm just glad it's gonna be baseball season again soon.
   
7. I bought a new battery for my laptop while I was in Minneapolis. It makes me smile--I went from 12 minutes of battery life to 5 1/2 hours of battery life.
8. Call it 'Tapas,' call it 'Dim Sum' or call it anything else you like. It's a fantastic way to have a meal. We had tapas with some friends tonight in Alexandria at a restaurant called 'La Tosca' and it was sublime.
9. The Daily show and The Colbert Report are coming back with new episodes (minus their writers, of course) on Monday. As luck would have it, Jess and I get comedy central in our apartment for free. It's good that something is free in this city.
10. Congrats to all my recently engaged friends, including Brad and Christine, Chris and Tara, Andrew and Emily, Rob and Mindy. Seems like a good summer for weddings. I *really* appreciate you all waiting until I moved thousands of miles away to plan an event those events...
11. I hope to do a 'New Year's Resolution' blog sometime soon, so I won't pull back the curtain on those just yet.
    

I guess that'll do for now. If you stop by here and read the posts, I'd love to get your feedback. Just say hello if nothing else. It's good to know who's on the receiving end of these blogs.

To MLB Or Not To MLB?

Any of you who have known me for more than five minutes are aware that I love baseball. It is easily my favorite sport--I think I could watch a nine inning pitchers duel between the two worst teams in MLB.

So, when it comes time for the World Series, I'm all over it. I've been waiting for this all year; and, even though my Twins have no place in the conversation about MLB's best team, the series still greatly intrigues me.

I suppose my love for baseball was impressed upon me at an early age. I vividly remember watching the Twins play in the 1987 and 1991 world series. I'm almost positive that I watched every second of those games as a seven and eleven year old--they are some of my fondest father/son childhood memories.

Of course, that was back in the day when a kid was able to watch the world series...

Now? Well, now the games start really late, and the prognosticators blather on pointlessly for a half hour pre-game show. Josh Beckett didn't throw the first pitch tonight until 8:34 EST. That seems ridiculous to me. Sure, the networks will get their ratings, but WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS???

Oh well. To hell with the kids, right FOX? Who cares if they grow up to love baseball. Or, to speak your language, who cares if the kids grow up loving the game enough to buy merchandise, go to the ballpark or watch the world series in 20 years. Word to the wise--maybe you should care, FOX.

One way or another, I'm going to enjoy this series. Lots of great story lines--small market v. big market, Todd Helton finally getting to the series, the Rockies 20 out of 21 streak, Josh Beckett as the best post season pitcher of all time, Manny Ramirez's hair--I could go on and on.

There's just so much to love about baseball. But, of course, I've been raised to think that way.

In Which My Sports Options Are Limited...For Now

Football season, while still ongoing, has been dead in Minnesota since about mid October. Let's face it, folks--this was about the worst season of Vikings football in Minnesota's history. The worst part is that the future looks about as bright as Ralph Wiggum taking an abstract algebra exam.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, friends. Baseball season--and with it the return of our beloved Minnesota Twins--is not as far away as one might think. Twins Spring Training begins soon, with pitchers and catchers reporting in mid February, and the first pre-season game on February 28th vs. Boston.

Now, you may be thinking, "Who cares about spring training?". Well, I do...and you should too. After all, it relieves us all from the dreaded sports dry spell in which our only options are the NBA, the NHL, or...Nascar. And, in case you're like me and need something objective to help you measure how long you will need to endure the aforementioned three sports, I have embedded a handy dandy countdown clock in the sidebar. Who says a music major can't figure out HTML code?

For those who do still care about football--who are you picking to win the Super Bowl? My money--were I a betting man--would be on the Colts. I think Peyton Manning will find a way to get it done this year, despite the America-feel-good-storyline that would occur with a New Orleans win. Step right up and place your 'nothing to gain but bragging rights' bets, folks.