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Didn’t Willie Stargell Already Think of This 30 Years Ago?

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Those little gold All-Star stars began appearing on MLB jerseys on Monday, and last night we got our first look at the stars on the caps (they didn’t use the cap stars on Monday because everyone was wearing the flag-desecration caps). So now that we’ve seen the full program in action, here are a few observations:

• The jersey stars are outlined in team colors — red for the Red Sox, blue for the Blue Jays (tough to see, but it’s there), and so on. So they coordinate nicely with the jerseys. If you had to place them on the good/stupid continuum, they’d definitely lean toward stupid, because they’re so unnecessary, but they don’t actually look that bad. I’m okay with them.

• The cap stars, however, are not outlined, so right away you have a consistency problem. In addition, the lack of outlining makes the cap stars appear larger. Then you have problems of relative scale: a cap is a lot smaller than a jersey (duh), and the MLB logo on the cap is smaller than the one on the jersey as well, all of which makes the cap logos seem waaaaay too big, and gaudy besides.

• When MLB added the silhouetted batter logo to jerseys in 2000, one of my first thoughts was, “Man, they already have that logo on the cap, and the jersey collar is just a few inches from the cap, so now you have two of those logos stacked right next to each other.” It’s bugged me ever since. That same problem is now compounded with these two sets of stars that are in such close proximity to each other. So now you have four stars and two MLB logos all clustered in a small visual zone. What a mess. (One possible solution: Scrap the stars on the caps and put them somewhere more appropriate.)

• And wait, what’s this? That’s right: The caps also have that annoying All-Star Game patch, which is normally worn only in the ASG itself. The inclusion of this patch had not been announced in advance — we’d only been told about the stars. It’s hard to express how awful this is. For starters, it’s the very definition of overkill (“Okay, so we’re gonna put these gold stars on the back of the cap, but just in case you don’t know what those are for, we’re gonna put the All-Star logo on the cap too”). It’s also a naked merchandising move. And like all cap patches, it makes the cap feel lopsided and unbalanced. Morons.

•  The stars are apparently being worn by the all-star coaches as well, which seems like a bit much.

• Guess who isn’t interested in playing these particular reindeer games? The Yankees. No jersey stars, no cap stars. Keep in mind that the Yanks are also the only team that has never used Coolflo batting helmets, has never used Cool Base jerseys, doesn’t have Majestic logo creep (although that’s due to a contractual restriction, not a matter of policy), and, of course, doesn’t have NOBs. Just goes to show how easy it is to keep things simple — you just have to choose to do so.

Meanwhile, here’s an intriguing sub-plot: A little birdie tells me that Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers removed the stars from his cap prior to last night’s game and used a blue marker to cover up some adhesive residue. (That’s some impressive attention to detail, but couldn’t he just have gotten a regular star-free cap instead?) He also asked a clubbie if his jersey stars could be removed. Kershaw is scheduled to start tomorrow night — stay tuned.

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Culinary Corner: I threw an Independence Day cookout party on Monday. There was lots of good food, including grilled clams, smoked marrowbones and jerk chicken (here’s a close-up of the ’bones), and grilled lamb ribs (the toast was to spread the marrow on), plus several other things that nobody got photos of.

But the star of the show was a batch of smoked beef short ribs that ranked up there with anything I have ever cooked (and weren’t quite as blackened or carbonized as that photo suggests — more brown than black). I kept them in the smoker for three hours at about 275 º and seasoned them with an absolute killer dry rub from Fette Sau, a Brooklyn barbecue restaurant. It’s the first time I’ve used this rub, and I’ll definitely be using it a lot in the future. Here’s the recipe:

1/3 cup garlic powder
1-1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
2-1/3 cups dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
2 cups ground coffee (espresso grind)
2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup ground black pepper

I was suspicious of using so much cinnamon, but it works. And the ground coffee is a key element here — adds flavor and rough texture. And while I used this rub for beef, it should work just as well for pork or lamb (not sure I’d use it for chicken, but I already have a good rub for that). Highly, highly recommended.

(Special thanks to my friend and fellow carnivore Friederike Paetzold for the photos.)

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Uni Watch News Ticker: The flag-desecration jersey that Derek Jeter wore during his minor league rehab stint was the source of some amusement for Yanks GM Brian Cashman. ”¦ My favorite contribution of recent days comes from Logan Light, who notes that his iPhone charger can receive football plays radioed in from the sideline. ”¦ Some jersey confusion at the Tour de France (with thanks to Steve King). ”¦ Also at the Tour de France: corporate advertising in crop fields (with thanks to Chad Todd). ”¦ Paul Hovey notes that Cody Ross was wearing Miguel Tejada’s helmet the other day. ”¦ New soccer kit for Everton. “The home kit is about what you’d expect,” says Doug Mulliken. “The keeper kit? Fucking kill me now.” Additional info here. ”¦ Some uni-related changes to EA Sports’s NHL 12 video game. Key passage: “Another new feature we’ve added to the game is Retired Jersey Numbers in all game modes. So this means if you create a player with the number 9 (or a player is traded and is number 9) and put him on Montreal, the game will choose another number for him unless the user assigns one for him manually. We will be retiring numbers from all of the leagues in the game and not just the NHL. If retired jerseys are not your thing, you have the option to turn them off before you create the league. ”¦ [Also,] players should retain their jersey numbers during the course of a season (no more Tomas Plekanec losing his #14 midway through the year)” (big thanks to Dustin Burns). ”¦ The Indians wore their cream-colored uniforms on Monday, but third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall played the first inning in his white pants. “He changed for the second inning,” says James Hoppes. ”¦ Ken Singer reports that the Vail Lacrosse Tourament featured one of history’s most garish uniforms. The tourney also had a Denver Nuggets vs. Bad News Bears match-up. And yes, the Bears were sponsored by Chico’s Bail Bonds. ”¦ Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer has taken some awesome stadium photos (Chad Todd again). ”¦ I think we’ve seen this before, but once more can’t hurt: Here’s the Elvis Presley Enterprises football team. That’s the King himself in the top row, second from the left (with thanks to Alan Kreit). ”¦ Joe Alvernaz found a site featuring all the jerseys for the upcoming Rugby World Cup. ”¦ “I was watching Antiques Roadshow on Sunday,” says Jon Solomonson. “Lou Groza’s son was there to get an appraisal on some of his dad’s stuff.” ”¦ Here’s the logo that the International Baseball Federation has created for getting baseball back into the Olympics.” ”¦ Jeff Hunter got an e-mail from Auburn A.D. Jay Jacobs, confirming that the school is not planning any football uniform changes for the upcoming season. That runs counter to what I was told last winter by equipment manager Dana Marquez, but apparently they’ve changed their minds. ”¦ Buncha really nice auction items from Mike Hersh, including a Lou Gehrig promotional tour jersey, a 1920 White Sox jersey, and a 1908 Red Sox jersey. ”¦ Here’s a better view of the Islanders’ 40th-season patch (thanks, RyCo). ”¦ The new Champions League ball is reaaaalllly ugly (with thanks to Kenny Loo). ”¦ As school districts face budget crunches, some of them are considering selling out to corporate advertising. Key passage: “Lake School Board members suggested officials research the Orange school district model that allows advertising on things like graduation schedules, online lunch menus, and middle-school team uniforms.” ”¦ Here’s an unusual sight: Dick Butkus wearing No. 78 (and dig that leather chinstrap!). “Must have been for practice or something,” says Jamison Nash. ”¦ “While watching the US/Columbia Women’s World Cup match on Saturday, I noticed that Heather O’Reilly’s NOB does not have an apostrophe,” says Adam Yarnevich. “I was curious if this was just a Nike thing (not adding apostrophes to names), or if it was a mistake.” Anyone..? ”¦ If you look down toward the lower-right portion of the Dayton Gems’ web site, you’ll see the fan vote they’re conducting for next season’s Beer League Night design (with thanks to Matt Brevet). ”¦ Ben Traxel found some old baseball photos from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, including one that shows the field on fire, with people still in the stands. What could that possibly have been about? ”¦ The newly married Duke and Duchess received Cambridge hockey sweaters the other day. Insert gender-based pecking order jokes here (with thanks to Bill Blevins). ”¦ Jimmy Couto found an amusing Lions hat at a shop in Michigan. ”¦ While looking for something else, I came across this shot of Bob Feller in a beige undershirt. Odd. ”¦ The Times had a story the other day about Reds farmhand Josh Holden. It includes this passage: “On the final day of spring training, Holden showed up to the Reds’ complex and noticed that one of the clubhouse attendants was wearing a black shirt, a baseball ritual that signals players are going to be cut.” Never heard that one before. But once you reach a certain point of spring training, there are cuts pretty much every day (and always on the last day), no? ”¦ New soccer kits for FC Porto (with thanks to Kenny Loo). ”¦ New logo for the West Coast Conference. “It’s pretty ugly,” says Ryan Goldstein, and I’m inclined to agree. ”¦ Bryan Molloy, who coined the term “sweatback” a while back, says the new Boston College jersey design reminds him of a certain movie character. He suggests that we call the design BC-3PO. ”¦ Another hint of that black Maryland football helmet has shown up, this time on a poster. Jarren Ginsburg helpfully provided a close-up of the helmet. ”¦ Check out the Technicolor sneakers that Kevin Durant has been wearing at his two-day basketball camp in Austin. Confession: I like them (big thanks to Matt Mitchell).

Confidential to Unit 1E: Hope you and yours are okay. If there’s anything I can do, just say the word.

 
  
 
Comments (168)

    the field burning thing was common back in the 20’s-40s to dry the infield after a rainstorm…they’d throw down kerosene and light it off, it would evaporate the water/moisture and make the field playable again. (this was commonplace in smaller places that didn’t have tarps to cover the entire infield with).

    Yep…when I was a kid in the late fifties and early sixties in New Orleans (where summer rains occur on a daily basis) I saw this done many times on our playground field. They would light up the infield dirt to evaporate standing water to make the field playable.

    Wow. Very cool.

    PS Are you really Pierre from Louisiana? I mean, are you THAT Pierre?

    “It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished them well /
    You could see that Pierre did truly love his mademoiselle…”
    (Charles Berry, c 1962)

    It was an outdoor wedding after a heavy downpour and we had to burn off the standing water… ;>)

    I didn’t know that about burning the field. Yes, quite interesting! Capaha park in Cape is still used today and is a great old time place to catch a game. link I think it is used by Southeast Missouri State and the summer league team the Cape Capahas. link

    Growing up in Venezuela, in the 1970’s, setting the field on fire after a rain storm was still common practice. I still seem to remember it happening in the 80’s. Fields have much better drainage systems nowadays, so I doubt they’re still doing it anywhere.

    I saw the Edmonton Trappers AAA team use industrial sized blow torches after a rain delay in 1983. Kind of like flame throwers.

    I ran baseball tournaments for a junior program for several years, and one year we had a late snowfall that threatened to delay a big tournament. The snow had melted on the grass outfield, but not the dirt infields. So, the grounds crew used fire to melt off (and dry) the infields.

    Paul, the Yankees are not the only team that eschews the Coolflo.

    The Cubs don’t wear them, either. I believe there are another couple teams as well.

    Right:
    link

    I’m pretty sure the Yanks are the only team that has NEVER used the Coolflos, as a matter of policy. I’ve adjusted the wording in the text accordingly.

    One more adjustment, if you will

    “the Yanks…has never used wear Cool Base jerseys”

    If you go back and read the sentence in question, you’ll see that the verb “has” does not refer to the plural “Yanks”; it refers to the singular “team.”

    I think he’s getting at the fact that it should read either:

    ‘has never used Cool Base jerseys’

    or

    ‘has never worn Cool Base jerseys’

    You’ve got both verbs (use/wear) in there.

    Maybe the Yankees have never worn “used” Cool Base jerseys…or maybe they’ve never used “worn” Cool Base jerseys. The Yankees are a class organization and I’m sure they’ve always preferred wearing spiffy new uniforms instead of worn out or used gear. ;>)

    Im pretty sure the Red Sox have never worn the coolflo helmets as well. I don’t recall anyone ever wearing one. They do wear the cool base jerseys though.

    well, unless you count the 06 all star game. I believe the yankees wore cool base jerseys and cool base helmets for the ASG appearance.

    The San Francisco Giants have never worn CoolFlo helmets in a game. Aaron Rowand did wear one in a piece of advertising though.

    Yes, JJ, I’m certain the Red Sox have never worn cool-flo helmets. Never, unless I’m forgetting.

    Whats so great about a team never wearing a coolflo helmet? It’s not like the Yankees (or any other team) is still wearing/using equipment from the beginnings of baseball.

    I’ve seen so many players wearing those Phiten necklaces or bracelets, and I’m sure there are many that don’t think they do a damn thing…so they can wear those, or “modern” cleats, but could never be caught dead in a coolflo helmet?

    Am I missing something, or is my hatred of the Yankees just seeping through?

    Modern cleats do suck. So do Cool-flo’s. If anything, I think the Yankees have received a good deal of praise today.

    I get that since it’s the IBFs logo, that they included a girl. What I don’t get is if the logo was created specifically for a campaign to bring baseball back to the Olympics, why is there a girl in it?

    Maybe it’s to petition the IOC to bring back baseball AND softball?!

    Either way, it looks like it was created in about 10 minuted using MS Paint.

    So the caps and jerseys the All-Star players are wearing in the week leading up to the All-Star Game will also be the caps and jerseys they wear during the game? (Of course, this won’t be the case for those AL players who are playing at home and those NL players who are playing on the road this week).

    Doubt it. The jerseys don’t have the ASG sleeve patch (odd, since they added that cap patch). I suspect those sleeve-patched jerseys will be waiting for the players in Arizona.

    yea, the mets were wearing black on the road and although the cap had the patch. the mets clubhouse and mlbshop.com are only selling blue mets caps w/all star jersey…so most likely they are wearing the white jerseys w/blue caps.

    It has to be a mistake by US Soccer when it was submitted to FIFA. On the FIFA website for the USA squad list it says O REILLY, no apostrophe.

    link

    Time for some Gaelic orthography. When a real rootin-tootin Irish male with an O surname refers to himself in an Irish language text, he will not use an apostrophe and he will re-spell the name in its original Gaelic version, with a space between the O and the rest of the surname. Hence an Irish male named John O’Reilly would be Séan O Rahilly were he writing an Irish text or scoring points with sentimental Fenians.

    It’s different for women. Someone who calls herself Heather O’Reilly in the USA would be Heather Ni Rahilly in correct Gaelic usage, for girls get Ni and boys get O.

    [Same thing in Icealandic, by the way: all male surnames end in “son” and all female surnames end in “dottir.” In Russia, boys are “ich” and girls are “aya.”]

    So our President’s oft-quoted recent sally that “I’m Barack Obama of the Monaghan O’Bamas, and I’ve come back to recover the apostrophe that got lost somewhere along the way…” is even funnier for absurd people like me. Sure, but your man’s already Baraichnail O Baghme, and there’s no call for you feckin’ apostrophe.

    I just have to give you props for the lesson you’ve taught us all this morning. I have enough Scot-Irish in me to claim it, but apparently not enough to be educated on it!

    Connie, always comin’ through in the clutch!

    Interesting. As somebody who descends partially from the O’Neill dynasty of high kings, this is something I would need to know should I choose to reclaim the throne.

    And yes, me and 5 million other people, I know.

    That includes me too Jeff. My Mum was Kneale – from a Manx family.

    Niall means Champion.

    O (actually ogha) in the Gaelic languages means “grandson of”, as opposed to Mac which is “son of”. O tends to be used more in Ireland, Mac in Scotland. And in the Isle of Man Macnele strangely lost the Ma and became Kneale. The point being that as I am son of and you are just grandson of I have a better claim to the High Kingdom :)

    MLB should stand for Major League Bullsh*t. I am so sick of all the cheap promotional bullsh*t like the horrendous Independence Day caps. the multitude of alternate jerseys, All-Star stars, etc., along with the evolution of the baseball uniform into aomething that looks more suitable for sleeping than any athletic endeavor. Why don’t the teams just have two decent uniforms, home and road; initiate some reasonable uniform dress code and just freakin’ play baseball? Enough with the bullsh*t…

    I totally agree with you on this, however it’s part of everyday life. Just go to your local market and look at all the variations of products offered. Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, etc… It’s all about the all mighty dollar.

    Mike, throwing up your hands and saying, “That’s just the way it is, live with it” — or, more importantly, telling someone else to live with it — just plays into the hands of the suits. Outrage, mockery, and despair are perfectly reasonable responses in the face of corporate bullshit. The day we stop using these tools is the day we become part of the matrix.

    Obviously, we all have to pick our spots, choose our battles, etc. If Pierre is choosing this one — and if, as you say, you agree with him — don’t discourage him. Support him.

    I don’t discourage Pierre at all. All I was saying is that marketing like MLB does is part of our present day culture. Some of it I like, some of it I think sucks. This is actually the main reason I stopped buying baseball cards. There were just too many gimmicks and promotions by the card companies. Products and brands just got watered down. Sorry if you guys took it the wrong way.

    Actually, these days it more likely plays into the hands of the business casuals.

    I have no problem with teams offering fan gear in different styles and colors…sell as much as you can. But I think it cheapens the sport (any sport) when so much emphasis is so blatantly put on marketing crap and you end up with major league players looking like a bunch of clowns on the field. These are the highest level professionals in their sport…show a little freakin’ dignity.

    Teams look a lot better today than they did back in the ’70s, that’s for sure. No one today is wearing uniforms as garish as the Pirates, Astros, White Sox or Padres – or the Tucson Toros.

    Gotta agree with you there, Scott…but the seventies also represent a transitional period in baseball uniforms from flannel to double knit polyester. They got a lot wrong in the process, for sure, but I’m willing to cut them a little slack.

    I just think that you develop greater team identity with one solid uniform. You know who the Oakland Raiders are. You can spot a Yankees uniform from the parking lot.

    And while the whole throwback thing sounds like a good idea, it’s a hit or miss proposition…mainly because of the fit and fabric of modern uniforms. NFL throwbacks should be banned because you can’t make a modern uniform that looks like one from a different era…it may resemble it, but that’s all. How can you show sleeve stripes, for example, when modern NFL jerseys have no sleeves?

    On the other hand, replica throwback jerseys with sleeves and made of older style fabric would be great in the team gift shop.

    Pierre and Scott-

    It’s debatable whether or not baseball uniforms are better today as opposed to the 70s and 80s. I’ll concede there were more gaudy designs, but the lack of imagination and too much black today makes it a wash for me.

    The Mets, Reds, Astros, Blue Jays, Royals, and Angels are some of the teams who looked better back in the day. On the logo side, teams like Mariners, Orioles, and Phillies, looked better, too.

    Remember, anything that isn’t white or gray is garish by “traditional baseball” standards.

    Jeff, you mean anything that isn’t “off-white” or grey is garish by traditional baseball standards. ;>)

    Heh. I’m pretty sure that Toros pic I linked to is actually what they wore in 1980.

    Yes, but there is demand for a multitude of Coke products, or they wouldn’t offer them.

    There is no demand, as far as I know, for these BS MLB shenanigans. The S&S caps are crap.

    It would be nice if every team could run its shop like the Yankees, but not every team has excellence as an asset; so they have to create other assets.

    It would be nice if every team could run its shop like the Yankees, but not every team has excellence as an asset; so they have to create other assets.

    Yes, such as humility and class. The Yankees would have these, but they labor under the misconception that such attributes can be bought.

    Substitute “success” for “excellent” and I think his statement is incontrovertible.

    It’s easier to avoid temporary merchandising trends when your sales are boosted by a long history of on-field success.

    You’ll notice the Islanders’ Patch link is paired with an ad for shirts with a Winnipeg Jets insignia. Official? Or just hype? The key trademark is the Esplanade Riel.

    The site itself says “Concept” logo shirt, so I’m going to posit that its not the real deal.

    That’s definitely a concept logo I’ve seen used elsewhere (forget whose it is at the moment).

    I can corroborate the field drying story…they actually did it in the Georgia 4A championship baseball game in 1996, because I was the announcer for it.

    Frank

    “… Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer has taken some awesome stadium photos (Chad Todd again). … ”

    Awesome is right. A wonderful gallery. I’m especially fond of those b&w shots of the Bronx subway stations.

    He’s also got some great nature photos and other non-baseball pics if you go to the end of the gallery

    -Jet

    Carlos Quentin didn’t have stars on his cap during last night’s game, either.

    I can also vouch for the use of burning kerosine as a way to dry a baseball infield. I was the manager for my high school’s baseball team, and had an up-close-and-personal view of its use one afternoon.

    Nor did Chipper Jones. I wonder what the MLB suits think about all the players “opting” not to wear the cap stars? I love it.

    re: Scrap the stars on the caps and put them somewhere more appropriate.

    Yeah, like in the trash of he MLB pinheads that approved idea.

    I would think it would just be embarrassing the take the field with those; like you were vaguely showing up your teammates.

    Or asking for a fastball in your earhole.

    Not sure if this has been mentioned yet but I see what you did there with today’s URL for the comments section.

    link

    This is the first time I’ve actually noticed the URL. I’ll pay more attention to them from now on.

    I did not notice that. Thanks for pointing it out because it’s pretty damn funny.

    I didn’t notice that, but thanks for pointing it out. Will have to keep an eye on it.

    Unfortunately, the story about corporate funding in school was a link to the Orlando Sentinel, which put as much Casey Anthony links on the page (including in the middle of the article) as they could possibly.

    Me thinks I see croquet kicks in the marrowbones and jerk chicken shot.
    Controversial.
    Just kidding.

    May I ask about the scalability of that dry rub recipe? How much meat should that cover? Thanks.

    That will cover quite a bit of meat — more than you’ll use in one sitting (unless you’re doing a mass feed). But I always like to make a big batch of rub. If kept in a sealed container, most rubs will keep for four to six months, no problem. Easier to make a big batch than to keep having to make little ones.

    Paul, I see in another pic that you have the Big Green Egg. So jealous. That thing must be amazing.

    I wish I could afford one. I know it’s well worth the investment but I just can’t swing it at this point. You get one and tell me how amazing it is though!

    I noticed that too!

    As an egg owner and user, I can tell anyone that is thinking of making the purchase, that you will never be dissatisfied!

    This seems as good a place as any to voice my continued support of all things Culinary Corner. What could possibly beat some foodie action to go along with uniforms?

    Check out this video: link
    It’s from NCAA Football 12, and it looks like Ole Miss may have a different set of uniforms this year. (On their white jersey, they’ve had 2 red stripes, and red numbers.)

    Here’s the logo that the International Baseball Federation has created for getting baseball back into the Olympics.”

    Can’t confirm it, but that link looks an awful lot like the work of link who designed all the link/link for link.

    I’m a big fan of her work, simple/effective/recognizable.

    Honestly, I don’t see a lot of similarities.

    Yes, the link features circular characters, but the logo is clearly based on the link, so I think you’d need to show evidence that’s a little more compelling for me to believe there’s any “jackin'” involved.

    True enough, but these days Jack Klugman makes me think of Zorak.

    “But Klugman is terrific, Klugman is dynamite, Klugman is… Klugman!”

    Adidas, what the hell. The Finale balls are usually the best looking ones in soccer. The design’s still there, but the striping? What?

    I see that one of the choices in that Dayton Gems web poll is “Invaders of Pittsburgh, PA.”

    They couldn’t have gotten a better picture to show the jersey, though? (Clicking on the names shows a picture, although some only show artwork of the jersey, or even just the logo.)

    Having a shot of that sweet Invaders jersey look like it’s wadded up on a bedroom floor just doesn’t convey the proper awesomeness of that design.

    Every single one of us should go in and vote for that Invaders jersey. For those who don’t know, the Invaders jerseys were designed and created by and for our own link.

    Way to go, Ry! Good luck!

    Every single one of us should go in and vote for that Invaders jersey.”

    Yes. And not just because he’s a regular here. It really is the best of the bunch.

    Of the non-Invaders jerseys, the hunter (“Rut hockey”) one is actually pretty cool. The camo is not gratuitous. In places where hunting is big, you see that color combo all over come deer season…on beer banners at liquor stores, at bars, and on hunting products of course.

    The best of the Invaders jerseys is the “Alt” (link) but that one doesn’t have the 8-bit uniqueness to it.

    The others in the contest are a complete mess.

    thanks guys! YES, please vote as often as you can! i just got word yesterday that the contest lasts the month of july. and much thanks for the kind words, as always! go vote for the Invaders!

    has anyone noticed that this season the mets have been wearing their blue gear a lot more frequently (even when it’s not a blue capped game)? Usually they wear their black gear (jackets, fleece, hoodies, etc) but i’ve seen more and more of them wearing the blue stuff with the black caps….which leads to a horrific look:

    link

    Clayton Kershaw was shown in the dugout last night on SNY with collar stars but not cap stars.

    “Hello, I’m Leonard Nimoy. The following tale of alien encounters is true. And by ‘true,’ I mean ‘false.’ It’s all lies. But they’re entertaining lies. And in the end, isn’t that the real truth? The answer is: No.”

    What was the question again?

    Funniest thing I’ve read all week (keep in mind, the week is still young) :)

    You can add the Cardinals to the list of teams not wearing the All-Star stars. Unless they add them tonight or later in the week. (The hot dog, Brandon Phillips, did wear them.)

    Matt Holliday didn’t have them.
    link

    Lance Berkman didn’t have them.
    link

    I attended last night’s game between the Single A Daytona Cubs and Tampa Yankees, and I noticed that the Cubs were wearing the Ron Santo patch. I assume all the teams within the Cubs organization are wearing it then?

    Also, the Cubs mascot had a big-ass Burger King logo on the back of his jersey. I’ll have to get a picture next time I go to a game.

    Yup, Cubby has a huge Burger King ad on the back. Almost as bad as the Arkansas Travelers, whose mascot is not only named Shelly, but has the gas company’s logo on the back, too.

    The William and Kate jerseys are Canadian olympic jerseys, presented in Yellowknife yesterday (they’re on a cross-Canada tour).

    The “Cambridge” is for their titles, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

    Extra stars on the jerseys and caps…jeez, we know pro leagues can be marketing whores, but do we really need tramp stamps on the players?

    Any truth to the rumor I just made up that for the remainder of the season All Star players will wear special gold caps instead of their normal team issued lids?

    Yes, this is true. And not athletic gold… actual gold leaf. And the cap logo will be done with jewels- like a championship ring. All stars will also be outfitted with helmets that look similar to a disco ball.

    Fette Sau isn’t just “a Brooklyn barbecue restaurant.” It’s the most kick-arse bbq in NYC. Barbecue out of a converted garage in Williamsburg, on a wax-paper-lined tray. Picnic benches. LCD TV depicting a yule log in a former fireplace. It’s fantastic.

    “… LCD TV depicting a yule log in a former fireplace. It’s fantastic…”

    That’s a good idea.

    Fette Sau is quite good — that’s why I used their rub recipe — but they’re not the best ’cue in NYC. Hill Country is, by a significant margin.

    As a point of reference, can I get a moustache breakdown? What’s the ratio of handlebar to non-handlebar?

    Just a nit to pick, but with the WCC’s new logo, was any one else thrown off by the “symmetrical” W? The beveling is not symmetrical, as can be expected, but the base of the W is also screwed up by the wave underneath it.

    Terrible logo, hope they didn’t pay based upon how long each explanation was for each element.

    Angels in the Outfield just came on TCM right now. Early 50’s baseball movie about the Pirates.

    In the first one, they never show any angels. Have to use your imagination. Talk about lazy moviemaking, huh.

    Ah, yes, gorgeous Pirates 50’s flannels and equally gorgeous young Janet Leigh.

    Eye candy all over the place.

    Too bad wasn’t filmed in color, but still well worth watching.

    btw, in that second photo, that ain’t Bobby Del Greco. That’s Pirates manager Bobby Bragan with Bob Friend and Dale Long.
    link

    Also worth noting that a fair bit of the baseball footage in there is from actual major league games- some of the earlier stuff in existence. And whatshisname, the old pitcher who wins the pennant, was an actual (retired?) big league pitcher.

    Paul,
    I have to admit, the thought of a marrow bone coming anywhere near my mouth is frightening. I buy them on a regular basis for my dog (and he loves ’em).

    Since I’ve never tried them, I can’t knock them. If I were to give them a shot, what’s the best way to prepare them (I have the egg smoker, and saw that’s how you made them…may that’s the best way?).

    Signed,
    Epicurious

    “… Have to admit, the thought of a marrow bone coming anywhere near my mouth is frightening. I buy them on a regular basis for my dog (and he loves ‘em)… If I were to give them a shot, what’s the best way to prepare them?…”

    Just place them at floor level in an aluminum bowl, maybe with some water and Dog Chow on the side.

    Marrowbones are a treat. Roast them at about 400 degs. for 20-ish minutes (or smoke them at a little lower and slower, as I did) and then scoop out the marrow and spread it on toast. Sprinkle with a little salt.

    Your dog can still have the de-marrowed bones afterward.

    i know in the Ian Fleming 007 novels, “M” always liked a marrowbone when he lunched at his private club, Blades. You are in good company.

    Hey, I don’t think the giants have used the coolflo batting helmets. At least I don’t recall that they have.

    Does anyone know why the Brewers wore their retro uniforms today? I was on the road, and listened to most of it on the radio. I get home and look at the highlights and see them in the retro pinstripes. The Crew have “Retro Fridays” on the first Friday home game of each month, but that’s it. I wonder if they will wear them this Friday when they host the Reds too. If anyone heard on the TV broadcast I am very interested to find out. Thanks!

    Way higher up, I see several folks asked about my Big Green Egg smoker. Love the Egg. I’ve had mine for about seven yrs now. If lightning struck it, I’d promptly go out and get another the very next day. That’s how much I love it.

    At the risk of making everyone jealous, I didn’t pay for mine. I didn’t intend to get it for free, but here’s what happened: I was doing a big article on outdoor cookery, and various manufacturers were sending me loaner grills so I could test them out. When I was done, I’d call the company and they’d send a truck to pick up the loaner. I always wondered what they did with those used grills.

    Anyway, one of the last models I test-drove was the Egg. When I was done, I called the company and said, “Okay, I’m done with it, you can send the guy to pick it up.” And the publicist guy kinda groaned and said he didn’t know the truck guy’s schedule, it might be a hassle, etc., etc.

    I felt like he’d opened the door a crack. I wasn’t gonna kick the door in, but I did put my foot in it ever so slightly. I simply said this: “You know I, like, used it and stuff…”

    There was a pause. Then he sighed and said, “Just keep it. Keep and when you use it and everyone loves the food that you cook on it, tell them what it’s called. Tell them it’s the Big Green Egg.” And I’ve always done that.

    A few winters later I was dating a business journalist who felt that what I’d done was completely unethical. “You can’t accept a gift like that!” she said. I explained that I tried to give it back, but she wasn’t having any of it. So I said, “Fuck it, then you don’t get to eat anything I cook on it.” Our relationship didn’t make it to the warm-weather season, so it never came to that.

    For the record (and this is what I wrote in the article, too): I think the Egg is an awesome smoker, but just a mediocre grill. They claim that it can be all things to all people, but I use a separate grill for direct-heat cooking.

    “Fuck it, then you don’t get to eat anything I cook on it.”

    without question, post of the day

    “Ken Singer reports that the Vail Lacrosse Tourament featured one of history’s most garish uniforms.”
    link
    Yeah, those are pretty bad. Those shorts come from a company called Flow Society, which has some pretty out-there designs:
    link
    I want those blue & white argyle shorts, though.

    And kudos to the team in the old Denver Nuggets jerseys!
    link

    I like the Jersey stars. The cap stars are unnecessary. Annnnd so is the second MLB logo on the rear collar that I didn’t just notice. I think if MLB and Majestic switched places for their logos on the jersey, it would look better.

    Espn baseball guys were poking fun at jeter’s minor league american flag jersey

    Those guys got to get out more. Garish special uniforms are sort of the norm in the minor leagues.

    link

    Don’t know if this was published, but Star Wars uniforms for Triple-A affiliate of the Twins from late June.

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