Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Tuesdays Baseball Notes

By M. Haas

On Sunday, I watched live baseball for the first time since September. It was everything I could have hoped for, and more. I saw the Golden Gophers defeat the 29th ranked Pepperdine Waves 5-2 to win the Gopher Classic. It was a pretty good game, but it was nice just to see baseball again. However, I was disappointed about a few things:

1. I saw a lot of Boston Red Sox hats. wtf?

2. I don't actually care too much if people wear Red Sox paraphernalia to the dome, but the sheer amount of it was disturbing. What really bothered me was the Yankee hat and the White Sox jersey. I just assume that all people who are in Minnesota while wearing a Yankee or White Sox hat are idiots.

3. The dirt around 1st, 2nd and 3rd base wasn't dirt at all. It was turf. I assume that the grounds crew was just being lazy and hadn't fully converted the field from football, but what if it were to stay like that for the Twins season? Is that even legal? I've never seen an all turf infield.

4. They were playing a lot of the same songs over the P.A. system during the game. One can only hear Joe Satriani rip through the Top Gun theme so many times. But worst of all, they played The Beach Boys 'California Girls.' We were playing Pepperdine. Pepperdine is in California. Playing that song is like telling the opponent that our girlfriends are ugly and we wish all girls were like theirs. Personally, I prefer the Northern girls with the way they kiss. Get real Gophers audio guy - - where's Kevin Dutcher when you need him?

- The three other teams in this weekends tournament were from California (Pepperdine), Texas (TCU) and Louisiana (Tulane). Watching the southern schools reminded me of an article I read a while back about the absence of northern schools in the College World Series. No Big Ten team has appeared in the CWS since Michigan in 1984. Those bastards in the south get to practice outdoors all year around, for their whole lives. Looking at the top 25 NCAA baseball teams, there is only one northern team. Imagine how much fun it would be if Big Ten and Gopher baseball were a bigger deal here. The ability to compete nationally would certainly help boost the popularity of the program.

- First and Third Base coaches will be required to wear a helmet this season. The rule is in response to minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh's death last season. Certainly a tragedy, but I seem to remember that he was actually hit in the neck. Hopefully the helmets will be painted in a non-glossy finish so they won't be so noticeable.

- Delmon Young's new nickname: The Truth.
Someone email him to tell him that this should be his walk-up song:

Brother Ali - Truth Is


.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Moose-I need your advice on a twin's related matter-give me a ring soon...Rainbow!

Daymonster said...

Wow... that is a cryptic comment. I can only assume the answer she is looking for leads to the lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

haasertime said...

sounds good jenn. that's an interesting mode of communication.

"twins related matter" is definitely code for some sort of treasure..

Holmer said...

Who knows what goes through the heads of people who just pick the most popular team's hats and jerseys and sport them in stadiums all over the country. Are they trying to prove a point? Are they true fans of those teams? Or do they just prefer the options of apparel given by the others?

We'll see what this "California Girls" song is all about soon enough. Then I'll give an opinion.

That song would be perfect, but isn't Paul Pierce "The Truth"?

soup said...

You guys remember Landalious Truefeld from Crank Yankers.

Now he was the Truth

tfrezac2002 said...

Bob Casey's voice "Batting third and playing right field for the MInnesota Twins: The TRUTH, Dellllmonnnnn Younnnng!"

It haunts my dreams.