hey everyone,
we moved from here, blogger.com, to a better site - wordpress.com. with wordpress we'll be able to use more features and will, hopefully, provide you with a better blogging experience! see you there
http://forthandbackwards.wordpress.com/
-nick and julian
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
the shot heard around the world is not the shot heard around mine
I'm not sure if a simple youtube embedment and a single sentence suffices as a "good" post, so, for those readers who might have been a bit confused by tinman-with-no-heart's latest post (I was, and I am part of this blog -I like to think of myself as forth, and tinman as backwards), here is a short explanation.
While sitting in a dim, skeezy, almost slimy bar - for those who are familiar, Southside Inn - last night watching the yankees on fuzzy standard definition television last night, Julian and I, refreshed by ESPN's bottomline, began talking about the topic of Bobby Thomson, the everlasting New York icon who put the Giants into the World Series over the (now underachieving, pathetic) Dodgers.
We spoke about the Polo grounds, what it must have been like to be a ball fan back when "America's Past time" was actually becoming the past time, and, overall, how much different ball must have been back then. We proceeded to the obligatory "I wish I knew Babe Ruth" conversation, and then returned back to Bobby Thomson and his home run in game 3. The conversation halted, though, when I admitted that I had not actually ever "seen" the old mottled clip of the "the shot heard around the world." I, in all my baseball knowledge, the most vast baseball encyclopedia in the world!, had never seen the clip. So, when I went home, after some violent deprecation from my counterpart, I promptly went to my computer, (like usual, because, honestly, I'm starting to think I don't have much of a life) found the clip, watched it, and read as much on Bobby Thomson as I possibly could before my urge to play video games became unbearable.
sidenote: The Associated Press article on Bobby Thomson on ESPN.com is well researched and very informative
But even after watching the clip, reading the articles, looking at the stats, and hearing what might have been, honestly, the coolest, most emotional home run call in history, I, at age 22, and having been born 37 years after the shot, was still emotionally distant from the biggest moment in "New York baseball history." I'm simply too young to even, honestly, care.
Having realized this, I immediately recalled what is probably the most significant sports moment in my lifetime. This moment, which occurred in the late hours of the night, after a marathon with the intensity of a sprint the whole way, is the moment when Aaron Boone shut the sound on all of Boston and lit up all of New York with his 2003 ALCS homerun off Tim Wakefield to win the pennant.
I remember my dad, with his day old razor sharp (pun intended) beard sliding down the hallway on his pudgy butt in his pudgy grey sweatpants yelling as loud as he could, (which led to my sleeping mom doing the same) the chatter around the school hallways the next day, the derision of the fools bold enough to wear Red Sox hats the day after, and the raspy, exhausted feeling of my throat from celebration.
I also remember (without cheating and watching the video below) the way Boone swung, and how Wakefield missed inside , and the anticipation of whether the ball would land fair or foul.
And I remember the great pride I felt in that home run, as if I had hit it.
(I'm not taking anything away from Bobby Thomson. There are plenty of people who were alive for both home runs who will say that his home run is indeed more memorable. And Boone's home run only ranked at #9 on ESPN's most memorable home runs list ((but they do hate New York, and love Boston))
If you're pregnant or suffer from heart problems, do not watch the following video. Especially if you're from Boston, work for ESPN, or are Joe Morgan or Joe Buck.
yours,
nicktgal
P.S. Tinman, why don't you listen to Lauren and Will? They are right in their comments, don't disagree with them. Where is the signature? Do you want to alienate yourself from your reader(s)? Don't you love them? Even if you don't, I do. I love you (all).
While sitting in a dim, skeezy, almost slimy bar - for those who are familiar, Southside Inn - last night watching the yankees on fuzzy standard definition television last night, Julian and I, refreshed by ESPN's bottomline, began talking about the topic of Bobby Thomson, the everlasting New York icon who put the Giants into the World Series over the (now underachieving, pathetic) Dodgers.
We spoke about the Polo grounds, what it must have been like to be a ball fan back when "America's Past time" was actually becoming the past time, and, overall, how much different ball must have been back then. We proceeded to the obligatory "I wish I knew Babe Ruth" conversation, and then returned back to Bobby Thomson and his home run in game 3. The conversation halted, though, when I admitted that I had not actually ever "seen" the old mottled clip of the "the shot heard around the world." I, in all my baseball knowledge, the most vast baseball encyclopedia in the world!, had never seen the clip. So, when I went home, after some violent deprecation from my counterpart, I promptly went to my computer, (like usual, because, honestly, I'm starting to think I don't have much of a life) found the clip, watched it, and read as much on Bobby Thomson as I possibly could before my urge to play video games became unbearable.
sidenote: The Associated Press article on Bobby Thomson on ESPN.com is well researched and very informative
But even after watching the clip, reading the articles, looking at the stats, and hearing what might have been, honestly, the coolest, most emotional home run call in history, I, at age 22, and having been born 37 years after the shot, was still emotionally distant from the biggest moment in "New York baseball history." I'm simply too young to even, honestly, care.
Having realized this, I immediately recalled what is probably the most significant sports moment in my lifetime. This moment, which occurred in the late hours of the night, after a marathon with the intensity of a sprint the whole way, is the moment when Aaron Boone shut the sound on all of Boston and lit up all of New York with his 2003 ALCS homerun off Tim Wakefield to win the pennant.
I remember my dad, with his day old razor sharp (pun intended) beard sliding down the hallway on his pudgy butt in his pudgy grey sweatpants yelling as loud as he could, (which led to my sleeping mom doing the same) the chatter around the school hallways the next day, the derision of the fools bold enough to wear Red Sox hats the day after, and the raspy, exhausted feeling of my throat from celebration.
I also remember (without cheating and watching the video below) the way Boone swung, and how Wakefield missed inside , and the anticipation of whether the ball would land fair or foul.
And I remember the great pride I felt in that home run, as if I had hit it.
(I'm not taking anything away from Bobby Thomson. There are plenty of people who were alive for both home runs who will say that his home run is indeed more memorable. And Boone's home run only ranked at #9 on ESPN's most memorable home runs list ((but they do hate New York, and love Boston))
If you're pregnant or suffer from heart problems, do not watch the following video. Especially if you're from Boston, work for ESPN, or are Joe Morgan or Joe Buck.
yours,
nicktgal
P.S. Tinman, why don't you listen to Lauren and Will? They are right in their comments, don't disagree with them. Where is the signature? Do you want to alienate yourself from your reader(s)? Don't you love them? Even if you don't, I do. I love you (all).
Shot Heard 'Round the World
This one is for Nick who has never seen what some say is the greatest homerun ever hit.
Monday, August 16, 2010
What the game's been missing
For as long as I can remember the MLB has been all about offense. Mainly about who can hit the most homeruns each year. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it took a lot away from the game, and any true baseball fan can see that.
Finally in 2010 the "Year of the Pitcher" has, at long last, arrived again (I know it's cliche but I had to use it). What else can you call a year where there have been two perfect games thrown and three no hitters. On top of that, four no-hitters have been broken up in the 9th inning. Most notably Galarraga's perfect game that was nullified by the one of the worst calls in baseball all season long.
This season has seen the most no-hitters (5) since eight of them were thrown in 1991. What a coincidence, the last time there were more no hitters than this season was right before steroids began to make a strong presence in the game.
There is something majestic about a pitcher going into the 9th and having zeros' across the board. No matter what pitcher it is you find yourself rooting for them to finish off their gem (Well they're usually gems except for Edwin Jackson's 8 walk no-hitter).
I don't know anybody who was rooting against Armando Galarraga. I can't remember being as frustrated with a call as I was with the blown call at first base, and I don't even like the Tiger's.
Brandon Morrow had what was probably the most dominating pitching performance of the year when he struck out 17 Rays. He too lost a no-hitter in the 9th inning with 2 outs. It doesn't get much more exciting than that.
To me watching the last inning of a game with a pitcher trying to finish a no-hitter is more exciting and riveting than watching a hitter go for homerun number 600 or 700. Maybe it's because I know that the last few hitters to get there (besides maybe Griffey) have betrayed the game of baseball.
The re-emergence of strong pitching (or have hitters just gotten worse?) has forced baseball to go back to what I like most about it: teams playing small ball. Sure a homerun is needed at times, but now teams are stealing more bases and relying more on stringing together hits than just sending up a juiced up goon to smash one out of the park.
I don't know if anyone will agree with me but I have enjoyed this season of baseball more than any recent season. Yes even more than the Yankee's championship season last year.
And it's not like offense is gone from the game. Jose Bautista has hit 37 homeruns already. Arod has almost 100 RBIs. Simply put, offensive numbers are coming at a more steady, normal rate, not the inflamed and exponential rates that we had seen in the past decade or so. As a matter of fact, this year has seen the lowest power numbers in the league since 1993.
Hopefully baseball continues on the path that it has taken this year.
P.S.- Can anyone explain why the Rays are always in the middle of no-hitters? I mean they're an awesome hitting team. Just doesn't make sense to me.
Finally in 2010 the "Year of the Pitcher" has, at long last, arrived again (I know it's cliche but I had to use it). What else can you call a year where there have been two perfect games thrown and three no hitters. On top of that, four no-hitters have been broken up in the 9th inning. Most notably Galarraga's perfect game that was nullified by the one of the worst calls in baseball all season long.
This season has seen the most no-hitters (5) since eight of them were thrown in 1991. What a coincidence, the last time there were more no hitters than this season was right before steroids began to make a strong presence in the game.
There is something majestic about a pitcher going into the 9th and having zeros' across the board. No matter what pitcher it is you find yourself rooting for them to finish off their gem (Well they're usually gems except for Edwin Jackson's 8 walk no-hitter).
I don't know anybody who was rooting against Armando Galarraga. I can't remember being as frustrated with a call as I was with the blown call at first base, and I don't even like the Tiger's.
Brandon Morrow had what was probably the most dominating pitching performance of the year when he struck out 17 Rays. He too lost a no-hitter in the 9th inning with 2 outs. It doesn't get much more exciting than that.
To me watching the last inning of a game with a pitcher trying to finish a no-hitter is more exciting and riveting than watching a hitter go for homerun number 600 or 700. Maybe it's because I know that the last few hitters to get there (besides maybe Griffey) have betrayed the game of baseball.
The re-emergence of strong pitching (or have hitters just gotten worse?) has forced baseball to go back to what I like most about it: teams playing small ball. Sure a homerun is needed at times, but now teams are stealing more bases and relying more on stringing together hits than just sending up a juiced up goon to smash one out of the park.
I don't know if anyone will agree with me but I have enjoyed this season of baseball more than any recent season. Yes even more than the Yankee's championship season last year.
And it's not like offense is gone from the game. Jose Bautista has hit 37 homeruns already. Arod has almost 100 RBIs. Simply put, offensive numbers are coming at a more steady, normal rate, not the inflamed and exponential rates that we had seen in the past decade or so. As a matter of fact, this year has seen the lowest power numbers in the league since 1993.
Hopefully baseball continues on the path that it has taken this year.
P.S.- Can anyone explain why the Rays are always in the middle of no-hitters? I mean they're an awesome hitting team. Just doesn't make sense to me.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
the game is more than a game
greetings, anyone who reads this blog, I hope you enjoy this 3rd post on forth and backwards (the 2nd worth reading), and I hope you don't feel too lonely being probably the only person who reads this. Don't worry though, soon you will have companions, maybe.
Enjoy
____
this post was initially meant to disparage tino martinez and his, in my opinion, steroid use. But seriously, I think I can talk about something a little more recent than that. And Julian's right, there's no way he could have taken them, he just couldn't have, right? I mean, the Mitchell Report SURELY listed EVERYONE who took steroids, how could they mess that up? And, surely, Tino said "no to peer pressure!" while on the #1 juicing team in the league. And career year in the smack middle of the peak of steroid usage? mere coincidence.
Julian, I don't think he did either, I just like to annoy you. And this final sentence isn't sarcastic, I promise.
But after realizing that I've grown tired of steroids (my biceps are too big now), I've chosen to type in a different direction, and about how baseball, and any sport for any respective preference, can be more.
Okay now we start
____
Having read tinman-with-no-heart's last post, which was a futile attempt at a decent rebuttal to my initial post, I have a few things to say.
But first, I start you with this entertaining excerpt from tinman's previous (untitled, why?) post
"Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse."
"Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse."
"Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse."
Players, not only in baseball, but any athlete, actually, everyone everywhere doing everything are constantly battling various problems, whether emotional or physical. And the way that we "measure" ourselves or others is how we believe they handled these various problems, and, ultimately, transcend through them (if they ever do). I think I should work on this "transcend" thing.
From the Chuck Knoblauchs to the A.J. Burnetts to the Mariano Riveras, baseball fans (well those are three yankees, but I'm a yankee fan, so I might as well talk about what I know best. unlike julian, who called tino martinez the best yankee first basemen since Lou Gehrig, and took the back side of a pencil to Don Mattingly's name in the history books, and a knife to his back) have witnessed ball players who are more like ticking time bombs, and ball players who are, in the most nerve-racking situations, as calm as your therapist.
It's part of what we like so much about baseball. Sure, fantasy baseball and stat crunching and whipping out the perfect statistic at the perfect time to bitch out your friend in an argument on which player is better (maybe, for example, an argument over don mattingly and tino martinez, but, then again, that's not really an argument) are all fun, and part of the sport, but hey, there were times when I decided to watch the yankees just to see if knoblauch botched another one - and I was a yankee fan! Part of what makes sports sports is watching the Yankees blow a 3-0 lead to the red sox, and being overwhelmed with despondence (besides, we're the yankees, we'll just spend some money and win next year).
But, sorry for the digression, back to Rocco Baldelli and his muscular dystrophy.
When Chuck Knoblauch was drilling beer venders and blondes in the bleachers on throws from second base, he had no excuse. Poor Chucky was simply a head case, and I understand there were some off field complications at the time, but, seriously Chuck, throws to first from 45 feet out?
There's no excuse for that, there's no excuse for B.J. Upton walking to a double in deep left center, and there's no excuse for Hanley Ramirez for kicking a ball and watching it roll, chuck knoblauch (i'm on you today, pal) pointing at a ball in play while runners rounded the bases, and altercating with a teammate for telling you to hustle (you again, Upton).
These guys simply ignored their athletic ability -- but what if they didn't have any athletic ability, would I still be writing this? Nope.
When someone who was a 3 sport stud in high school, was drafted 6th in the 2000 draft, flew through the Tampa Rays farm system, competed for the AL rookie of the year award (lost to Godzilla) and put together a few solid seasons on the Rays until his body literally collapsed, and his athletic ability was literally taken from him by a hereditary disease, it isn't his fault.
If your body physically, literally, doesn't allow you to perform on the baseball field because of a diagnosed illness, an illness that doctor's can assure makes someone weaker, and weaker, and weaker, that is, I think, one of the most acceptable excuses I've ever heard.
What should really be "taken away" from "the rocco baldelli fable" is the dude's determination to not leave the game. And it's not a money factor. Having signed his first contract with a $2.25 million signing bonus, and signing a contract in 2006 for $9 million, Rocco can completely and abruptly leave the game of baseball without any financial problems. But he still plays, he is still involved in the game, the guy overlooked shame and is down in single A trying to be effective enough to be called up by season's end. There's something in there, somewhere trapped in some sulcus of his mind, that simply leaves him coming back for more. It's something that people like my buddy Matty who has had an injury plagued pitching arm but will still play the game, my buddy Kyle who tore his ACL playing lax but is still out on the field today, Katrina Dowd, an ex highschool classmate who tore her ACL playing lax also but is now on the women's national team, share. It's something that is almost ineffable.
And this isn't some Brett Favre bullshit.
Take, for example, Mike Lowell, the 36 year old red sox 3rd baseman who, in 1999, was diagnosed with testicular cancer but came back later in the same season to play. Or another red sox player, Jon Lester, the then 22 year old pitcher who was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma in 2006 and has flourished enough to be a staple in the sox rotation and has fought enough to confidently say that he is "cancer-free."
These are all people with an excuse, a real, honest, excuse. Nobody would look down on these guys for quitting, and leaving the game. I can only imagine the sudden despondence and hate and anger and sadness and feel of betrayal one would feel if told something so horrible. You wouldn't think that one would be thinking about baseball when facing thoughts on mortality Cancer? It wouldn't only be an excuse to quit, it would be a reason to quit.
But, like I said, it's something ineffable. (and I belabor, it's not the money)
We love the game, care for the game, pay money to sit in uncomfortable metal chairs to watch the game, all because we love the fantasy leagues, we love the stats, the bragging rights, the bar brawls and "sox suck" shirts, and we love seeing someone with a ton more athletic skill than we have throw a ball in the stands and saying "even I could have made that play!"
But, while most people call baseball a "game,"what really makes this "thing" what it actually is, is the fact that facing terminal illnesses, and facing one of the worst things anyone could ever face, something I wouldn't "wish on my worst enemy," some players want nothing more than to get back out on that field. No matter what their condition is. All they want to do is do the thing that they know best, the thing that they've always known, because to many people it's not just a game, it's something beyond reason, beyond an excuse. It's their life, our life. That is what we love to see, to share, the most.
And that's something even Julian can agree with.
yours,
nicktgal
Enjoy
____
this post was initially meant to disparage tino martinez and his, in my opinion, steroid use. But seriously, I think I can talk about something a little more recent than that. And Julian's right, there's no way he could have taken them, he just couldn't have, right? I mean, the Mitchell Report SURELY listed EVERYONE who took steroids, how could they mess that up? And, surely, Tino said "no to peer pressure!" while on the #1 juicing team in the league. And career year in the smack middle of the peak of steroid usage? mere coincidence.
Julian, I don't think he did either, I just like to annoy you. And this final sentence isn't sarcastic, I promise.
But after realizing that I've grown tired of steroids (my biceps are too big now), I've chosen to type in a different direction, and about how baseball, and any sport for any respective preference, can be more.
Okay now we start
____
Having read tinman-with-no-heart's last post, which was a futile attempt at a decent rebuttal to my initial post, I have a few things to say.
But first, I start you with this entertaining excerpt from tinman's previous (untitled, why?) post
"Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse."
"Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse."
"Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse."
Players, not only in baseball, but any athlete, actually, everyone everywhere doing everything are constantly battling various problems, whether emotional or physical. And the way that we "measure" ourselves or others is how we believe they handled these various problems, and, ultimately, transcend through them (if they ever do). I think I should work on this "transcend" thing.
From the Chuck Knoblauchs to the A.J. Burnetts to the Mariano Riveras, baseball fans (well those are three yankees, but I'm a yankee fan, so I might as well talk about what I know best. unlike julian, who called tino martinez the best yankee first basemen since Lou Gehrig, and took the back side of a pencil to Don Mattingly's name in the history books, and a knife to his back) have witnessed ball players who are more like ticking time bombs, and ball players who are, in the most nerve-racking situations, as calm as your therapist.
It's part of what we like so much about baseball. Sure, fantasy baseball and stat crunching and whipping out the perfect statistic at the perfect time to bitch out your friend in an argument on which player is better (maybe, for example, an argument over don mattingly and tino martinez, but, then again, that's not really an argument) are all fun, and part of the sport, but hey, there were times when I decided to watch the yankees just to see if knoblauch botched another one - and I was a yankee fan! Part of what makes sports sports is watching the Yankees blow a 3-0 lead to the red sox, and being overwhelmed with despondence (besides, we're the yankees, we'll just spend some money and win next year).
But, sorry for the digression, back to Rocco Baldelli and his muscular dystrophy.
When Chuck Knoblauch was drilling beer venders and blondes in the bleachers on throws from second base, he had no excuse. Poor Chucky was simply a head case, and I understand there were some off field complications at the time, but, seriously Chuck, throws to first from 45 feet out?
There's no excuse for that, there's no excuse for B.J. Upton walking to a double in deep left center, and there's no excuse for Hanley Ramirez for kicking a ball and watching it roll, chuck knoblauch (i'm on you today, pal) pointing at a ball in play while runners rounded the bases, and altercating with a teammate for telling you to hustle (you again, Upton).
These guys simply ignored their athletic ability -- but what if they didn't have any athletic ability, would I still be writing this? Nope.
When someone who was a 3 sport stud in high school, was drafted 6th in the 2000 draft, flew through the Tampa Rays farm system, competed for the AL rookie of the year award (lost to Godzilla) and put together a few solid seasons on the Rays until his body literally collapsed, and his athletic ability was literally taken from him by a hereditary disease, it isn't his fault.
If your body physically, literally, doesn't allow you to perform on the baseball field because of a diagnosed illness, an illness that doctor's can assure makes someone weaker, and weaker, and weaker, that is, I think, one of the most acceptable excuses I've ever heard.
What should really be "taken away" from "the rocco baldelli fable" is the dude's determination to not leave the game. And it's not a money factor. Having signed his first contract with a $2.25 million signing bonus, and signing a contract in 2006 for $9 million, Rocco can completely and abruptly leave the game of baseball without any financial problems. But he still plays, he is still involved in the game, the guy overlooked shame and is down in single A trying to be effective enough to be called up by season's end. There's something in there, somewhere trapped in some sulcus of his mind, that simply leaves him coming back for more. It's something that people like my buddy Matty who has had an injury plagued pitching arm but will still play the game, my buddy Kyle who tore his ACL playing lax but is still out on the field today, Katrina Dowd, an ex highschool classmate who tore her ACL playing lax also but is now on the women's national team, share. It's something that is almost ineffable.
And this isn't some Brett Favre bullshit.
Take, for example, Mike Lowell, the 36 year old red sox 3rd baseman who, in 1999, was diagnosed with testicular cancer but came back later in the same season to play. Or another red sox player, Jon Lester, the then 22 year old pitcher who was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma in 2006 and has flourished enough to be a staple in the sox rotation and has fought enough to confidently say that he is "cancer-free."
These are all people with an excuse, a real, honest, excuse. Nobody would look down on these guys for quitting, and leaving the game. I can only imagine the sudden despondence and hate and anger and sadness and feel of betrayal one would feel if told something so horrible. You wouldn't think that one would be thinking about baseball when facing thoughts on mortality Cancer? It wouldn't only be an excuse to quit, it would be a reason to quit.
But, like I said, it's something ineffable. (and I belabor, it's not the money)
We love the game, care for the game, pay money to sit in uncomfortable metal chairs to watch the game, all because we love the fantasy leagues, we love the stats, the bragging rights, the bar brawls and "sox suck" shirts, and we love seeing someone with a ton more athletic skill than we have throw a ball in the stands and saying "even I could have made that play!"
But, while most people call baseball a "game,"what really makes this "thing" what it actually is, is the fact that facing terminal illnesses, and facing one of the worst things anyone could ever face, something I wouldn't "wish on my worst enemy," some players want nothing more than to get back out on that field. No matter what their condition is. All they want to do is do the thing that they know best, the thing that they've always known, because to many people it's not just a game, it's something beyond reason, beyond an excuse. It's their life, our life. That is what we love to see, to share, the most.
And that's something even Julian can agree with.
yours,
nicktgal
Monday, August 2, 2010
Well now that nicktgal, hatten49, baldelli22, terseverse, or terse (not sure which one he prefers now-a-days) has "set the tone", as he keeps telling me, i can finally post.
He has betrayed his promise that his posts will be supported by fact and history. Nicktgal accused the greatest Yankees first baseman since Lou Gehrig of using steroids. However, Tino Martinez has never once come up on a list of potential steroid users, let alone a list of actual users. Unlike Nick I like to support my claims, Mitchell Report.
I have never understood why Nick always talks bad about Tino when his favorite ball player is Rocco Baldelli. The two aren't even comparable. Tino had a long successful career while Rocco struggled to even play. Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse. Anyway Rocco has become a totally irrelevant player.
Now that I have successfully defended Tino I can say a few words about the blog.
The blog is intended to produce a good laugh or two but at the same time it will offer some insight into a wide variety of topics, probably mostly sports. So check in once in a while. I can't promise a consistent stream of posts but when we actually find some motivation to post something it will definitely be worth reading.
I will leave you with this weak spitting attempt probably caused by mitochondrial myopathy.
He has betrayed his promise that his posts will be supported by fact and history. Nicktgal accused the greatest Yankees first baseman since Lou Gehrig of using steroids. However, Tino Martinez has never once come up on a list of potential steroid users, let alone a list of actual users. Unlike Nick I like to support my claims, Mitchell Report.
I have never understood why Nick always talks bad about Tino when his favorite ball player is Rocco Baldelli. The two aren't even comparable. Tino had a long successful career while Rocco struggled to even play. Sure Rocco has an incurable disease that stops his mitochondria from producing enough energy for his muscles to function properly, mitochondrial myopathy, but that isn't an excuse. Anyway Rocco has become a totally irrelevant player.
Now that I have successfully defended Tino I can say a few words about the blog.
The blog is intended to produce a good laugh or two but at the same time it will offer some insight into a wide variety of topics, probably mostly sports. So check in once in a while. I can't promise a consistent stream of posts but when we actually find some motivation to post something it will definitely be worth reading.
I will leave you with this weak spitting attempt probably caused by mitochondrial myopathy.
preface
Before Julian, tinoman, tinomartnz88, tinomartnz67, or whatever the washed up old-timer-loving boy crusher feels like calling himself that day, and I begin, I would just like to inform any readers or future readers (if we're lucky enough to have one of you) of the disparity and dichotomy in thought process and competence, and how it will be both apparent, and at points obvious.
The blog was initially created for casual sports chatter, although sports chatter doesn't always remain casual and calm, and most of its discussion will revolve around sports related topics. Come to think of it, this is the first post, so I guess this is as initial as it gets, so expect near-future sports arguments. But it will also expand into any other weird rumination that floods the minds of Julian and I.
If we both argue a subject, or even just touch upon anything, it can be safe to assume that what I, nicktgal say, is both orginal, creative, and worth reading. The argument will be both fact and historically supported, and will therefore be safe to presume both true and, ultimately, a good, well-informed statement from a good, well-informed (intelligent) person.
But if you read a post from the tinman with no heart, it will also be safe to assume that half of his argument will say things that are both intended to subvert and frustrate me, regardless of any obvious shame, and half of his argument will be uncreative with ideas lifted from others (if a sports related topic, probably someone like tim cowlishaw).
I just wanted to clear up this probably scarcely posted-to and probably ephemeral blog with a few strands of insight.
yours,
the more trustworty contributor,
nick, or (don't worry, I will only call myself one of these two, not 5 names all way too similar and dedicated to a steroided first baseman) nicktgal
thanks
The blog was initially created for casual sports chatter, although sports chatter doesn't always remain casual and calm, and most of its discussion will revolve around sports related topics. Come to think of it, this is the first post, so I guess this is as initial as it gets, so expect near-future sports arguments. But it will also expand into any other weird rumination that floods the minds of Julian and I.
If we both argue a subject, or even just touch upon anything, it can be safe to assume that what I, nicktgal say, is both orginal, creative, and worth reading. The argument will be both fact and historically supported, and will therefore be safe to presume both true and, ultimately, a good, well-informed statement from a good, well-informed (intelligent) person.
But if you read a post from the tinman with no heart, it will also be safe to assume that half of his argument will say things that are both intended to subvert and frustrate me, regardless of any obvious shame, and half of his argument will be uncreative with ideas lifted from others (if a sports related topic, probably someone like tim cowlishaw).
I just wanted to clear up this probably scarcely posted-to and probably ephemeral blog with a few strands of insight.
yours,
the more trustworty contributor,
nick, or (don't worry, I will only call myself one of these two, not 5 names all way too similar and dedicated to a steroided first baseman) nicktgal
thanks
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