Say Anything Blog

My favorite ballpark is Camden yards.The one-time railroad center is 12 minutes from the birthplace of baseball’s most legendary hero, George Herman “Babe” Ruth. 
It takes its image from baseball parks built in the early 20th century.

Steel, rather than concrete trusses, an arched brick facade, a sun roof over the upper deck, an asymmetrical playing field, and natural grass turf are just some of the features that tie it to those magnificent big league ballparks built in the early 1900’s.

Ebbets Field (Brooklyn), Shibe Park (Philadelphia), Fenway Park (Boston), Crosley Field (Cincinnati), Forbes Fields (Pittsburgh), Wrigley Field (Chicago), and The Polo Grounds (New York) were among the ballparks that served as powerful influences in the design of Camden Yards.

Nowadays falsehood stands erect and truth lies prostrate on the ground.

Oakland still has a major league team?  I thought they’d been moved down to AAA ball a few years back…

Camden yards is nice, but there will never be another stadium like the House that Ruth Built:

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

The ASTROS former Enron Park and now Minute Maid Park is great fun! It doesn’t have that nostalgic thing going for it like some. BUT it is pretty cool with it’s roof that opens and closes in case of bad weather. I Love the ASTROS! That is one of the only things I miss about Houston.

I kind of like how Minutemaid had the flagpole in play on the field.  Harkens back to the old Yankee Stadium where the flagpoles in center were in play.

I’m not sure it was entirely necessary to do such a thing in a modern ballpark, but still sort of cool.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I think they’ll still be the Oakland Athletics, right? They’ll be the “Oakland Athletics of Fremont” or something like that.  Just like the San Francsico 49ers planned move to Santa Clara will make them the San Francisco 49ers of Santa Clara or something like that.  It’s all the same Bay Area, not like 30 miles for a major leage team makes much difference…

I think Rob hates me… I mean, just look at the pic he took of me!

Midland has a AA team called the Rockhounds. I am not sure who they are affiliated with? I think it is Oakland A’s???

It would be fun to get on a Harley and ride to all the different parks…

Jeez, they’re gonna be a scary team. The smartest GM in baseball (Billy Beane) combined with a huge new stream of revenue? Watch out.

A new stream of revenue doesn’t guarantee that the owners will be willing to spend more money on the team.

But if this new stadium does represent more money for the team, you’re right.  Very dangerous.  Billy Beane is the best baseball mind in the game right now.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

A new stream of revenue doesn’t guarantee that the owners will be willing to spend more money on the team.

Good point, Rob. Look at the Pirates. Or the Nationals. Both recently got new stadiums and didn’t respond by spending more money to help them win. Beane just doesn’t seem like that type of person (from I could tell in Moneyball, at least.)

On a related note, what the hell is happening this offseason? My Cubs just gave a 3 year/$13 Million contract to a 31 year-old backup second basemen!

Beane just doesn’t seem like that type of person (from I could tell in Moneyball, at least.)

Well, it’s not really up to him.  The owners decide how much money gets spent.  He works within their budget.

On a related note, what the hell is happening this offseason? My Cubs just gave a 3 year/$13 Million contract to a 31 year-old backup second basemen!

Now you know how it feels to be a Yankees fan.  Honestly, if Steinbrenner would just stick to signing the checks instead of trying to be the GM and Coach too they’d win the Series every year.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I agree with Zsa Zsa, Minute Maid park is DA BOMB!

My thoughts on Minute Maid Park are best expressed through this scene from Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead:

“Mr. Janss, when you buy an automobile, you don’t want it to have rose garlands about the windows, a lion on each fender, and an angel sitting on the roof,” Roark said. “Why don’t you?”

“That would be silly,” stated Mr. Janss.

“Why would it be silly? Now I think it would be beautiful. Besides, Louis the Fourteenth had a carriage like that and what was good enough for Louis is good enough for us. We shouldn’t go in for rash innovations and we shouldn’t break with tradition.”

“Now you know damn well you don’t believe anything of that sort!”

“I know I don’t. But that’s what you believe, isn’t it? Now take a human body. Why wouldn’t you like to see a human body with a curling tail with a crest of ostrich feathers at the end? And with ears shaped like acanthus leaves? It would be ornamental, you know, instead of the stark, bare ugliness we have now. Well, why don’t you like the idea? Because it would be useless and pointless. Because the beauty of the human body is that it hasn’t a single muscle which doesn’t serve its purpose; that there’s not a line wasted; that every detail of it fits one idea, the idea of a man and the life of a man.”

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I hate Minute Maid Park!!!!!!!

The Rockhounds are the AA affiliate for the A’s… in Midland, TX.

The Rockhounds are the AA affiliate for the A’s… in Midland, TX.

Yeah, and the Sacramento Rivercats are the AAA affiliate.

I think Rob hates me… I mean, just look at the pic he took of me!