Great First Licks

Winston-Salem, NC -- Nothing beats a great song other than its opening lick. There are certain songs that when you hear the first chord struck, you immediately crank up the volume on your stereo or radio. Hundreds of rock songs could foot this bill; however, here's my stab at "love at first lick:"

• Collective Soul - "Shine" - This hit could rival its fellow album song, "December."
• Eric Clapton - "Layla" - This song is the epitome of "classic rock."
• The Rolling Stones - "Can't you hear me knocking?" - Not one of the Stones' prominent tunes.
• Goo Goo Dolls - "Slide" - This song hit its peak right at the Milennium.
• Sheryl Crow - "If It Makes You Happy" - That rhythm guitar rocks.
• Violent Femmes - "Blister in the Sun" - A classic acoustic guitar with a double snare drum beat.
• My Morning Jacket - "I'm Amazed" - Listen to this song on itunes if you've never heard of it.
• The Scorpions - "Rock you like a Hurricane" - Germany's best band; however, the song is a bunch of cheese.
• Prince & The Revolution - "When doves cry" - My favorite Prince song.
• The Black Crowes - "Twice As Hard" - ATL's finest.
• Led Zeppelin - "Good Times Bad Times" - There are so many Zeppelin songs to choose from for this blog.
• U2 - "Mysterious Ways" - You know that I couldn't leave my favorite band off of a music list.

Feel free to add your own favorites...

The 90 Day Club

Winston-Salem, NC -- The 90 Day Club is now complete! Yes, I went to Finnigan's Wake Pub & Kitchen in Winston-Salem for 90 consecutive days with a few exceptions when I was in DC (4 days). Here are the final numbers:



If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that image loading on this blog is from the Dark Ages. In summary, I've blown $869.67 on alcohol, food, desserts, and cheap thrills for the past three months at this place. I know that it's ridiculous, but it's all for the price of glory -- my very own, all-inclusive Finnigan's Wake party on Opie (the owner), a Finnigan's Wake 3/4 sleeve softball jersey with my name and number embroidered on the back. And finally, probably the ultimate perk of them all: my name will be forever etched on the wall of Finnigan's Wake is silver (with the evergreen backdrop). Just another award added to my personal cupboard of lifetime achievements. Now not so fast -- here are some notable events that occurred along this arduous journey:

• Sean was present for day 1 and day 90.
• Broke my right pinkie finger on April 8th (Day 15).
• Went to DC for the weekend on April 12th. Had to find an Irish bar that evening.
• Had surgery and took a leave-of-absence on April 15th (Day 22).
• Friends were let go from the job in early May.
• Spent Memorial Day weekend in DC and Baltimore (Days 61-63).
• Made it to Finnigan's at 11:57 p.m. on Day 68.

These events don't account for the number of weekend days where I had to drive solely to Winston-Salem for a sweet tea. I had 50 sweet teas in all, 77 Guinness's, and a handful of other alcoholic beverages. That's a ton of calories in addition to cash and time. People have asked me if I would do another 90 days, and the answer is "yes." However, I rather pocket the $869, save some calories, gasoline, and time, and bask in the glory of my name on the wall when I do return to "The Fins" on occassion. I'll leave the all-time record to Trivia Tim, who is currently in pursuit of a full year (and perhaps decade) of attendance. At the time of this writing, Trivia Tim sits at 296 consecutive days. I'll take the 90, the jersey, and the wall. Fun times.

Friday Meltdown

Winston-Salem, NC -- I'm enduring a slow Friday afternoon, so I'll touch on a couple of points in no particular order.

• Going to check out the Charlotte Knights' park with Schnooks tomorrow night. One thing, the ballpark isn't located in Charlotte; it's in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
• I'll be back here in Winston to attend Sunday afternoon's Warthogs game against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Nothing like watching a Carolina League game (after working 2 years for Carolina's Frederick Keys).
• Spoke to a representative of the Warthogs' ownership group last night and asked him about the new team name -- The Winston-Salem Warthogs are moving to a brand new ballpark downtown next spring. Check out the progress here. The front runner for the new team name is "The Dash."
• I'm a big fan of J.C. Bradbury's blog, "Sabernomics." After all, it combines the thinking of economics and baseball; my two favorite conversation topics. Bradbury, a fellow Braves' fan, is a huge opponent of Jeff Francoeur, often inferring to Frenchy's three month window of brilliance in the summer of 2005. He hasn't been good ever since, and here are his numbers this season to date: 0.253 BA, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 0 SB, 0.312 OBP, 0.411 SLG. Not good. I placed the stolen bases in there because Frenchy vowed to run a little more this year.
• This offseason could mark the exit of some legendary pitchers: Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux, and now Schilling.
• Andy MacPhail has been on the job as Orioles President of Operations for exactly one year now. The Sun's Rick Maese has his performance review here. I like how Maese examined everything from trades (exceeds expectations) to usher behavior (below expectations). I know Kevin's incident in 2005 (?) has something to do with that uproar.
• The Nats have the worst run differential in MLB; -90. This team can't hit.

The Jack of All Trades

Winston-Salem, NC -- While running on the ol' treadmill on Monday night, I saw Mike Jacobs' (1B, Florida) stats from the last 7 days scroll across ESPN's Bottomline. I can't remember the stats verbatim, but I recalled that the Marlins obtained Jacobs from the Mets in the Carlos Delgado deal. This trade had me thinking just how many lopsided deals that Marlins GM Larry Beinfest has made during his regime. Here are the deals off the top of my head made by Beinfest that directly affect this year's surprising team (37-33 with a $21M payroll -- lowest in the majors):

• Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis for Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin.
• Carlos Delgado for Mike Jacobs and Yusmeiro Petit.
• Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell for Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.
• Juan Pierre for Ricky Nolasco, Renyel Pinto, and Sergio Mitre.
• Plucked Dan Uggla from the D-Backs in the Rule V draft.

I would have to say that Beinfest absolutely fleeced the opposition in all of these deals except the trade with the Red Sox, which worked out for both sides. The Cabrera and Willis dealing to the Tigers looks like a colossal mistake by Detroit because both players have been ineffective (though Cabrera is heating up, but Willis is pitching in Class A) and both were handed large contracts before the season began. Miller is a work in progress and Maybin has been mashing in the minors. Carlos Delgado apparently can't play anymore and is now being platooned at 1B in New York. Beckett and Lowell both carried the Red Sox in the postseason last year, but Ramirez has been a stud in Florida and Sanchez pitched a no-hitter two years ago. He's currently rehabbing his right shoulder. Nolasco and Mitre have been durable starters, while Pierre left Chicago as a free agent and is currently enduring career lows in all offensive categories. Uggla should start this year's All-Star game at 2B. A masterful job by Beinfest to receive loads of talent in return for giving away aging (and declining) veterans. I'll give him my "Jack of All Trades" award for now. As for "GM of the Year," I don't know about his free agent signings because the Marlins don't spend any money.

R.E.M. Review

Winston-Salem, NC -- Here is the set list of last Tuesday night's show that I attended in Raleigh. As Michael Stipe put it, "Welcome to the R.E.M. weigh loss program" -- the outdoor amphitheatre was a steam bath. The heat didn't slow down R.E.M.'s set, whcih featured a heavy dose of songs from the new album, "Accelerate."

• Harborcoat
• Living Well is the Best Revenge
• Bad Day
• What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
• 1,000,000
• Man-Sized Wreath
• Welcome to the Occupation
• Accelerate
• 7 Chinese Bros.
• Hollow Man
• Imitation of Life
• Houston
• Electrolite
• Walk Unafraid
• The One I Love
• Final Straw
• Find the River
• Let Me In
• Horse to Water
• Auctioneer
• Orange Crush
• I’m Gonna DJ
• Supernatural Superserious
• Losing My Religion
• Pretty Persuasion
• Fall on Me
• Sitting Still
• Man on the Moon

I was hoping for a few more hits from the 80's and 90's... Superman, Don't Go Back To Rockville, Drive, Crushed with Eyeliner, Driver 8, The Great Beyond, etc. Michael Stipe didn't shed one piece of the black suit that he was sporting. Mike Mills performed his trademark aaaahhhh harmonizing. Peter Buck was fantastic on lead guitar. Mitch Easter, who I met playing at Winston-Salem's The Garage back in October, produced the first two R.E.M. albums. He played during the encore's "Sitting Still." How many people can say, "I've met the person on stage" at a rock concert of 10,000+ fans?

One tidbit before I close, the three spotlights above the stage were aimed at Stipe, Mills, and Buck. The drummer and third guitarist played in the dark and were barely cheered for. When the band took a bow after the closing song, "Man on the Moon," it was only the main three. After learning that Bill Berry would retire from R.E.M. following their 1997 tour, Stipe replied, "I guess a dog is still a dog if you removed one of its four legs."

Digging R.E.M.'s latest

Winston-Salem, NC -- I picked up the newest R.E.M. album last night, Accelerate, (after two unsuccessful attempts around Greensboro) in anticipation of tonight's show at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh.

The reviewers rated this one correctly; 4.5 out of 5 stars. The current radio hits, "Supernatural Superserious" and "Hollow Man" take the band back to its early 90's success. It wouldn't be a R.E.M. song if Mike Mills wasn't aaaahhhhhing in the background harmony.

I've researched the latest set lists to see what they've been playing in their live acts. "Man-Sized Wreath," "Houston," and "Horse to Water," in addition to the two current radio hits have all made the live cut. This 11 song album may be R.E.M.'s best since Monster.

I'll have a review of the show up sometime this week.

Ugly Numbers

Winston-Salem, NC -- Here are the batting averages and on-base percentages of the players in the Nats' Opening Day lineup:

1. Guzman, .309, .330
2. Milledge, .248, .317
3. Zimmerman, .257, .291
4. Johnson, .220, .415
5. Kearns, .187, .295
6. Lo Duca, .200, .298
7. Belliard, .194, .316
8. Dukes, .195, .326

I don't believe that I've ever seen a lineup with so many players hitting below the Mendoza Line. Only Guzman has a RESPECTABLE average and Johnson is the only player with an OBP above the designated .400 plateau. Granted, several players have been hurt and missed playing time, but their replacements aren't exactly lighting up the place.

• Young (for Johnson): .233, .338
• Pena (for Kearns): .206, .255
• Flores (for Lo Duca): .318, .385
• Lopez (for Belliard): .236, .313

Is Jesus Flores the only guy who is hitting above .300 and has a decent on-base percentage? The Nats' run differential is a pathetic -82. Using Bill James' Pythagorean Theory to project their winning percentage, it'll come out to 0.355 (RS^2/(RS^2 + RA^2). Currently, the Nats sit at 0.385 (25-40), so they've actually a little lucky at this point to have 25 wins.

New Park in Tampa?

Winston-Salem, NC -- The Tampa Bay Rays would like to move from the outdated Tropicana Dome to a new waterfront ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg. I've always been a proponent on new ballpark construction, mainly because it stimulates the economy of an otherwise barren section of town. The advent of the "new old" ballparks began in Baltimore with Camden Yards both mirroring parks constructed at the beginning of the 20th century and incorporating shops and restaurants downtown. We've seen new ballparks succeed (Baltimore, Cleveland, Seattle, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Houston, San Diego, Colorado, San Francisco) and some parks fail (Detroit at first, Atlanta a little bit, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh (economically)).

I've attempted to attend as many new parks as possible. After all, one of my life goals is to visit EVERY major AND minor league park in America. Look, you can conduct all of the economic studies and investigations that you want to see if a ballpark will or has failed, but I personally believe that it all has to do with the surroundings of the park. Out of the ballparks I've visited, here's what surrounded the successful ones.

• Baltimore -- Inner Harbor
• Houston -- Downtown area, surrounding Union Station
• Cleveland -- Downtown area
• Colorado -- "LoDo"

Turner Field in Atlanta is too far removed from downtown. As Tom Nickens points out in his St. Petersburg Times article, "The Trop" has failed mostly because of empty lots and little development around the park.

Larger crowds will obviously turn out if the team is winning, but what do they do before and after the game? I believe that the attendance at the Nats' new digs would be higher if the area on South Capitol Street was developed; plenty of bars, restaurants, and other attractions to do. Taking the congested Metro to see a lousy team essentially offsets the honeymoon of the new park, as showed by the pock-marked seats at yesterday's game against the Cardinals.

Change: Thread by Thread

Winston-Salem, NC -- When Andy MacPhail took over the front office reigns of the Orioles last summer, I cackled at the TV screen as the Orioles marked another turn in their efforts to rebuild. However, MacPhail has accomplished more positive tasks in his one year in office than any other VP / GM combined since Pat Gillick was the GM. The trade with Seattle, bringing back Adam Jones, George Sherrill, et al. for Erik Bedard is looking like a steal. While the Tejada has played very well for the 'Stros, the pitching prospects received in return could blossom in the near future. Luke Scott has been steady at the plate and with the glove in left field. There are finally signs of progress in Baltimore. However, there has been one battle that Baltimorians have been fighting for decades, even before AngeLOSE owned the club. "Baltimore" was removed from the road jerseys in 1973 (one season after the Senators moved to Texas) in order to incorporate the Washingtonians as Oriole fans. The jersey switch was no bagatelle to Baltimorians.

As a man who loves jersey designs and the game of baseball, I think this is a great move by the Orioles. Why not? Washington now has its own baseball team. Washington baseball fans will always flock to Camden Yards because they know it's the best ballpark in the majors. AngeLose needs to win back the fans of Baltimore. The city can support the team by itself, as shown in the 1960's and 1970's (when Washington had a team through 1972). The Orioles have a storied tradition and the uniforms were very much a part of it. I scoff at the Phillies, Cardinals, Angels, and Rays for not placing their city's name on their road jerseys. It should be mandatory. If the Orioles aren't going to play like the championship teams of the late 60's and early 70's, at least they'll look like them.