"Say it ain't so, Joe." - Isn't that the odd American sport of Baseball?
4 October 2008
Event Horizon 1984
"This is like deja vu all over again."
Yogi Berra
We're loathe to putting day to day politics on this blog. There's enough aggravation in daily reading. But with Major League Baseball into the playoff season, the injection of politics has us crossing the line.
"If you build it ... HE will come."
Shoeless Joe Jackson, Field of Dreams (1989)
If you're a fan of Baseball, or happen to be be the average American glued to the television or radio, you do know this piece of baseball history and mythology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoeless_Joe_Jackson
In testimony before the grand jury, Jackson admitted under oath that he agreed to participate in the fix. He also admitted to complaining to other conspirators that he had not received his full $20,000 share. Legend has it that as Jackson was leaving the courthouse during the trial, a young boy begged of him, "Say it ain't so, Joe," and that Joe did not respond. In his 1949 interview in Sport Magazine, Jackson debunked this story as a myth.
In 1921, a Chicago jury acquitted him and his seven White Sox teammates of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the newly appointed Commissioner of Baseball, banned all eight accused players, claiming baseball's need to clean up its image took precedence over legal judgments. As a result, Jackson never played major league baseball after the 1920 season.
If you didn't know baseball, you probably wouldn't know this has been floating around the last 80 or so years.
"Say it ain't so, Joe"
Governor Palin, October 2008
"If you can't imitate him, don't copy him."
Yogi Berra
Or not?
"I grew up watching the summer baseball on these fields."
"In fact started out as a sports reporter. Sports have been a passion
of mine of mine all my life, so I feel not at home here but I feel very
ah comfortable in like this is a fun booth to be in."
Governor Sarah Palin, 29 August 2008
Donny Baarns interview during the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks and Mat-Su Miners game.
http://ballhype.com/video/alaska_governor_sarah_palin_interview/
Every four years American President's and Presidential contenders attend or watch the playoffs. Mostly leaving the politics out of Baseball. But this Presidential cycle just had to mix politics with American's most beloved pastime.
Politicians do us a favor. Leave Baseball out of it.
You should know better.
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"And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
Terence Mann, Field of Dreams (1989)
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eBay and Johnny Sain
12 August 2010
EventHorizon1984
Decided to pick up some words to relax before a weekend (group Ed.) three day systems contract, and AuctionBytes won the coin toss over TameBay. The site didn't disappoint.
The day's guest lecturer was one eBay Addict, a self professed eBay shopper. He has skill of a professional writer, with the hardball delivery of a stereotypical east coast resident.
eBay Addict is reminiscent of the fictional sports writer Oscar Madison. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's rewind a bit.
Despite eBay Addict saying, "I'm not trying to bait you," he managed to hook quite a few live ones.
The lively taunt and rant session piqued my curiosity. Curiosity and Google went no where, but the {cough} {cough} baseball addict seated nearby had this to say:
"[expletive deleted] Braves."
I went 'huh?', but apparently there are baseball fans that recognize where eBay Addict appropriated the "We really don't want to hear about the labor pains, we just wanna see the baby." catch phrase.
Ah sports writer.
His comments are sprinkled with sporting allusions. Reading like other sports articles, such as one from east coaster Mike Bovenzi, who like dozens of others wrote a similar "fans don't want to hear about labor pains. The fans just want to see the baby." Sadly he too didn't attribute Johnny Sain.
Who is eBay Addict and is he a sport writer?
Hope you enjoyed today's sports trivia.
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"You and other sellers like you just don't get it. Buyers (and eBay) are sick of the excuses and the rants. We really don't want to hear about the labor pains, we just wanna see the baby. And in this instance, your baby can't be delivered on time! ROFTL!!"eBay Addict
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Posted on 12 August 2010 at 22:38 in Business, Commentary, eBay, EventHorizon1984, History, Sports | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: AuctionBytes, eBay, eBay Addict, Johnny Sain, Oscar Madison, The world doesn't want to hear about labor pains; it just wants to see the baby.
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