I freely admit I am so starved for baseball happenings that I actually did a news search just now for “baseball” –as if I wouldn’t have read about it already, on a blog or Twitter, if anything big went down. Aside from the Matt Garza trade (good news for the Yanks this season, probably, but nothing I can get too excited about) there ain’t nothing going on today. Except Brian Cashman is talking more and more like some kinda internet zealot. Adam LaRoche is finalizing his deal with the Nationals. Okay.
Unfortunately what I did turn up, like some gross bug under a rock, is the story over at Radar Online that a new reality show about baseball groupies is being developed. Baseball Annies are now being cast, with the idea of filming in Arizona during spring training. I’m not much of a reality TV fan — I’m too easily embarrassed on behalf of other people — and doubt I will watch this, unless I have to write about it. Anyone with half a brain realized many, many years ago that the vast majority of baseball players sleep around, and I really couldn’t care less since I am not married to, nor dating, a baseball player; that’s between them and their significant others and as long as everyone’s a consenting adult, hey, not my concern. The entire subculture has always seemed deeply depressing, though, and this newest cringe-inducing exploitation-fest is doing nothing to change that impression:
“The girls will go to any lengths to go to games and practices with the goal of sleeping with and getting material things from athletes as a notch under their belt,” the source told RadarOnline.com exclusively.
Ooh, an EXCLUSIVE about soul-suckingly shallow groupies! Great job, RadarOnline.com. Also:
The show will focus on the women and their ‘cleat-chasing’ lifestyle more than the players and their participation, added the source.
Well, of course. Why deal with the legal and societal repercussions of showcasing popular men behaving badly when you can just vilify the less wealthy and famous women who, inexplicably, are volunteering for this? Not that they won’t deserve vilifying, most likely, and no one can go on a show like “Cleat Chasers” and not expect to come out looking horrible.
I’m not someone who bemoans the decline of humanity, because I think humanity has always been pretty messed up, and even a show as tasteless as this is still better than say burning a bunch of people at the stake every time you get freaked out by an eclipse, but still.
actually, according to Mark Simon at ESPN's stats & info (good stuff!), he says we'll be sad to see Garza go, as we owned him. on top of that, Garza owned the S**t Sox...
http://tinyurl.com/2dlp3t2
[1] Shows what my gut reactions are worth!
The wife and I have been renting the HBO series "Rome" lately. It's pretty damn good. Anyway, people have been pretty sleazy for many years and it's not going to change any time soon. And it's too bad.
Yikes!
This is worth discussing.
http://itsaboutthemoney.net/archives/2011/01/07/a-new-game-of-shadows/
Believe it or not, Tampa got better. Garza is out, but Jeremy Hellickson's in.
[4] It's certainly possible, but just a theory at this point... after all Pettitte has been talking about retiring since well before the Clemens mess.
But I still just can't believe how horrible Roger Clemens' legal strategy has been this time. With better advice (or just less hubris) he'd never be on trial now...
Also, the Clemens-Pettitte story is SO going to be a made for TV movie one day. "A FRIENDSHIP... DESTROYED! Betrayal! Texas! Etc. Etc!"
I haven't seen it posted here yet, so I thought I would mention that former Yankee Ryne Duren passed away yesterday. He was 81. Duren pitched in the big leagues from 1954 to 1965, mostly with the Yankees. He threw hard, threw wild, drank a lot, and couldn't see too well, an interesting combination.
A colorful Yankee, to say the least, and someone who was able to control his drinking problem after his playing days.
[7] see...just like i commented on your earlier post today, i always learn more about the game from you.
as far as I go...i'll be drinking a lot tonight and i don't hear very well.
[7] good article on Duren
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=6000341
[0] Baseball groupies..they got a sub-culture going on over here too I have heard..recently retired legend Kiyohara Kazuhiro was well known for his hijinks with bar hostesses and female fans.
[6] I love Andy P but really..just make a freakin decision already!
[9] thelarmis! What's up man? I can only get my comments up on the Banter from my home computer now so havn't been around recently. Been digging a lot of Fender Rhodes albums these days, also some awesome Mal Waldron. Let's jazz chat soon!
[6] Please Emma, don't tempt me... I've already got enough on my plate...
[3] Rome is fabulous! Almost as good as "Deadwood."
[1] Overall, in the very short-term, the Rays will be worse off for having lost a league average innings eaters at worst.
[5] Hellickson is better, but the Rays could have had him AND Garza. Also, Hellickson will likely be hampered by an innings limit, so even if he is more effective, the Rays will eventually need someone else to pick up the slack.
[7] The original Wild Thing. Duren, who wore coke bottle glasses, would often throw wild pitches in warm-up, which legend has it were designed to intimidate hitters into thinking he had no control.
[0]
I'm only surprised they didn't title the show "Clits and Cleats"
14) That is fucking hilarious!