This past Friday night was USA-Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. A few years ago, I would have circled this on my calendar and looked into tickets (thought the threat of actually going never did materialize). These days, I didn't even know it was happening until (last) Monday lunchtime. How did I - the proud owner of a 2004 #23 Eddie Pope USMNT jersey that's done service through 3 World Cups - fall away from a sport that I used to so passionately follow? Continue reading The Ghosts of Dos a Cero
Monthly Archives: November 2016
The Cruciferousing
I can't believe I never did a sauerkraut post. Really? Anyway, with my parents in town again for the winter, I've decided to make a new batch of sauerkraut. Lucky you.
Making sauerkraut is about as simple and foolproof as kitchen fermentation gets. You need a head of cabbage, shredded, some kosher salt, a clean dowel or some other implement for pounding the kraut into the fermentation vessel, and a fermentation vessel. I'm using a quart mason jar.
Continue reading The Cruciferousing
1987 Rewind: Game Forty-seven
DETROIT 15, MINNESOTA 7 IN DETROIT
Date: Friday, May 29.
Batting stars: Mark Salas was 2-for-2 with two home runs and five RBIs. Kent Hrbek was 2-for-3 with a home run, his ninth. Gene Larkin was 1-for-1 with a home run.
Pitching star: Keith Atherton pitched a perfect inning.
Opposition stars: Pat Sheridan was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second) and a double, scoring three times and driving in four. Matt Nokes was 2-for-3 with a home run (his ninth) and two walks, scoring twice and driving in four. Alan Trammell was 2-for-4 with a home run (his fourth) and a walk, scoring twice.
The game: Detroit scored three in the first, three in the third, and five in the fifth to take an 11-1 lead. The Twins scored two in the eighth and four in the ninth to make the final score look somewhat competitive.
Of note: Les Straker started and lasted just three innings, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout...Joe Klink pitched four innings and allowing nine runs (eight earned) on eleven hits and three walks with one strikeout...Detroit starter Walt Terrell pitched eight innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out four.
Record: The Twins were 24-23, tied for second with Seattle, 3.5 games behind Kansas City.
Notes: Klink took one for the team and didn't get rewarded for it. His ERA went from 3.93 to 6.45. He would make only one more appearance and then be sent down, not returning to the majors until 1990. Of Klink's twelve appearances for the Twins, he gave up eight earned runs here and three in an appearance in April. In his other ten appearances, his ERA was 3.18...Salas and Larkin each entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, replacing Tim Laudner and Hrbek, respectively.
Plater profile: Pat Sheridan has been largely forgotten, but he had a decent major league career. He was drafted in the third round by Kansas City in 1979. He had a fine year in Omaha in 1981, earning a September call-up in 1981, was injured part of 1982 then came to the majors to stay in 1983. He was pretty much a utility outfielder in 1983, spending significant time at all three positions, but became the mostly regular right fielder in 1984. He had a poor year in 1985, however, lost his starting job, and was released in spring training in 1986. The Tigers signed him and he stayed through 1989. He never had a full-time job but always saw significant playing time. He never was really good (his best year was probably 1984, when he hit .283/.338/.399), but he was never utterly terrible, either. Basically, he was a decent fourth outfielder who wouldn't hurt you too badly if he had to play more than that. The Tigers traded him to San Francisco in mid-June of 1989, he signed with Kansas City for 1990, was again released in spring training, spent 1990 in AAA with the Cubs, signed with the Yankees for 1991, was a reserve outfielder for most of the season, and then his playing career came to an end. Not a bad career, though: he played in the big leagues for part of nine seasons, got 2419 at-bats, and hit .253/.319/.371 with 51 homers and 86 stolen bases. At last report, Pat Sheridan was a property insurance salesman in Michigan.
Happy Birthday–November 19
Billy Sunday (1862)
Everett Scott (1892)
Roy Campanella (1921)
Joe Morgan (1930)
Manny Jimenez (1938)
Larry Haney (1942)
Bobby Tolan (1945)
Bob Boone (1947)
Dickie Noles (1956)
Mike Winters (1958)
Gary Disarcina (1967)
Mario Valdez (1974)
Clay Condrey (1975)
Ryan Howard (1979)
Jeff Gray (1981)
Jonathan Sanchez (1982)
Michael Tonkin (1989)
The Joe Morgan listed above is not Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. The Joe Morgan born today is the Joe Morgan who once managed the Red Sox.
Larry Haney is the cousin of ex-Twin Mike Cubbage.
Mike Winters has been a major league umpire since 1990.
Winter Wonderland: Games of November 17
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE
SURPRISE 4, SALT RIVER 2 IN SURPRISE
Nick Gordon singled in Scott Heineman to cap a three-run fifth that put Surprise up 3-2. Surprise added an insurance run in the sixth and Salt River did not get the tying run on base. Gordon was 1-for-4 with an RBI and is batting .346. Mitch Garver was 1-for-4 with a run. Tanner English was 0-for-3. John Curtiss struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up only a walk. The win clinched the West Division championship for Surprise. They will play Mesa for the league championship on Saturday.
GLENDALE 3, PEORIA 1 IN PEORIA
Glendale scored all three of its runs in the second inning and made it stand up. Francis Martes struck out seven in five shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks.
SCOTTSDALE 6, MESA 6 IN SCOTTSDALE
Mesa scored two in the eighth to tie it 6-6 and the game was called after nine innings. Ties are not unusual in the AFL, but they usually play at least one extra inning and often two. It's interesting because Mesa won the East Division by a half game over Salt River--had extra innings been played, it's possible Mesa would have lost and dropped into a tie. Maybe Mesa would've been the division champion on a tiebreaker anyway--I don't know how AFL tie-breakers work--but it still seems a little odd.
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
ZULIA 6, MAGALLANES 3 IN ZULIA
A four-run first provided all the runs Zulia would need. Giovanny Urshela was 3-for-4 with a home run (his third) and two doubles for Zulia, driving in four.
CARACAS 6, ANZOATEGUI 5 IN ANZOATEGUI (10 INNINGS)
Anzoategui tied it 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, but Jesus Guzman delivered a two-out RBI single in the tenth to win it for Caracas. Luis Diaz struck out six in five innings for Caracas, giving up two runs on six hits and three walks.
LARA 3, MARGARITA 2 IN LARA
Margarita led 2-1 going to the bottom of the ninth, but Ildemaro Vargas doubled in the tying run and Luis Nunez singled home the winning run for Lara. Jesus Montero was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk for Lara, driving in one.
LA GUAIRA AT ARAGUA
Rained out.
DOMINICAN LEAGUE
LICEY 4, GIGANTES 0 IN LICEY
Two singles, an error, and a pair of RBI ground outs but Licey up 2-0 in the fourth and their pitchers took it from there. Cesar Valdez pitched six shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks with four strikeouts for Licey. Marco Hernandez was 4-for-4 with two RBIs for Licey.
ORIENTE 4, AGUILAS 2 AT AGUILAS (6 1/2 INNINGS--RAIN)
Oriente scored two in the second and two in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Aneury Tavarez was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
No games scheduled.
MEXICAN LEAGUE
NAVOJOA 5, OBREGON 3 IN OBREGON
Niko Vasquez' RBI single in the ninth broke a 3-3 tie and a squeeze bunt brought home an insurance run for Navojoa. Humberto Sosa was 2-for-4 for Navojoa.
JALISCO 1, LOS MOCHIS 0 IN LOS MOCHIS
Japhet Amador homered (his second) in the fourth inning for the game's only run. Daniel Guerrero struck out seven in six shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks for Jalisco.
HERMOSILLO 10, MAZATLAN 8 IN HERMOSILLO
Hermosillo trailed 7-5 after seven but scored five in the eighth to win. Jose Amador hit a grand slam (his ninth homer) to put Hermosillo ahead to stay. Efren Navarro was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBIs for Hermosillo.
MEXICALI 6, CULIACAN 2 IN MEXICALI
C. J. Retherford hit a two-run homer (his sixth) in the fifth to break a scoreless tie and Mexicali added three in the sixth to go up 5-0. Javier Solano pitched 6.2 innings for Mexicali, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks with two strikeouts. Yordanys Linares was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs for Mexicali.
AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*
BRISBANE 8, CANBERRA 3 IN BRISBANE
Aaron Whitefield's two-run single in the seventh broke a 2-2 tie and Brisbane led the rest of the way. Whitefield was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Logan Wade was 1-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.
SYDNEY 13, ADELAIDE 4 IN SYDNEY
Sydney scored all of its runs in innings two through five, getting two in the second, three in the third, three in the fourth, and five in the fifth. Malik Collymore was 3-for-4 with a home run and a double, scoring twice and driving in six.
MELBOURNE 8, PERTH 1 IN MELBOURNE
Allan de San Miguel hit a three-run homer in a four-run third that put Melbourne ahead 6-1. Mark Hamburger struck out six in five innings, giving up one run on three hits and two walks. de San Miguel was 3-for-5 with a double as well as a home run and drove in five.
*Games actually played November 18 because timey-wimey.
Gumbo for the people
I've long adopted recipes from the region I've lived in, and have adapted the spices and flavors of that region with all the other places I've lived. Dr. Chop taught me how to cook, and taught me how to think about flavors on the fly combining bits of this with bits of that to make delicious dinners (most of the time...). No place has influenced my cooking more than New Orleans. Truth be told I was a bit nervous moving down here as emulsified meats and strange seafood weren't really a thing I considered appetizing. I jumped in with both feet and have been rewarded with some of the most simple yet complex flavors on the planet, and Gumbo is the tie that binds them all together. (Lots of people will tell you that you can't cook a good gumbo unless your grandma's grandma taught you how to do it, and I call bullshit on that. You got this. I believe in you. Just don't stop stirring.)
I've adapted this recipe from Donald Link's Fried Chicken and Gumbo recipe from his book Real Cajun.
1 1/4 C Veg Oil
1 1/2 C Flour
Medium onion diced small
3 celery stalks sliced
1 bell pepper diced small
(optional additional peppers such as a poblano and jalapeno diced (depends on how much heat you want, there'll be plenty spice later on)
1 medium sweet potato peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon filé powder
3 quarts chicken broth brought to a simmer
1 pound (or more...) smoked andouille* sausage sliced into 1/2 inch moons
Half a rotisserie chicken picked but kept in large pieces
optional 3 cups sliced okra ( if you use the okra cook it down in a separate pan before adding it to you gumbo. You'll actually cook the snot out of the veg which leaves a much, much more palatable finished product.)
*The Best Stop is indeed the best stop for cajun meats in south louisiana. Yup, I know thems fighting words, but hey, the wouldn't call it the best stop if it weren't They ship everywhere, and it's worth it. I made gumbo last night with some inferior andouille and it was lacking something je ne sais quoi.
Method
Chop everything first. Once you begin to heat the oil you'll not have time to do anything but stir the flour, so prep ahead. This isn't a fast recipe, and while I do this on school nights all the time it's not recommended for those with kids or a desire to eat before 9 pm. Put the chopped veg into a bowl to be kept by the stove top. Next, measure out the spices into a bowl to be kept handy next to the stove top. Measure out the flour into another bowl to be kept handy next to the stove top. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a cast iron pot or dutch oven, and when a pinch of flour sizzles it's time to get your roux on. Gently, and carefully, add the flour to the pan stirring constantly with a whisk. 
They call roux cajun napalm for a reason, and stirring with a spoon will splash the roux out of the pot and burn the shit out of whatever it lands on. (Roux is a combustible liquid, and will ignite if overheated... no kidding) Using a whisk, continue to stir the roux over medium to medium high heat, and as the roux begins to color gradually lower the temp. This will increase cooking time slightly, but will allow you far more control and lowers the chance of burning the roux. Stir all portions of the pan as a single bit of stuck flour will burn and foul the whole pot. Depth of color is totally a personal choice, but real cajun cooks say that the finished product should be darker than a moonless night. I have a different approach, I cut the roux off in between milk and dark chocolate as the flour will continue to cook when you add the veg. 
Add the veg and spice mix to the roux, but be careful as a burst of steam will escape. Now switch to a flat bottom spoon to stir. Cook the veg until the onion wilts and the peppers soften. Stir this often as you can still burn the roux. 
Add the heated stock to the pan and bring the whole mess to a boil. Adding cold stock will break the roux, not the end of the world, but a lot more stirring, and you've already stirred enough for one night.
Brown sausage in a separate pan, and add to the gumbo pot.
Simmer for 30-40 minutes and add the chicken pieces. You'll notice a lot of oil coming to the surface. Skim this oil off and discard. Stir occasionally, and put a pot of rice on the stove. When the rice is done the gumbo is done. 
So, I can't flip the photos, but really they're just here for color comparison.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away
C'mon, everyone, give!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2YX8l_YNsk
09 Sep 1992
Young joe may have been really into this performance.
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FMD: Music for Kids
When I was a kid I listened to a whole lot of Radio AAHS. For Citizens not in the know, Radio AAHS was a station aimed at the 5 - 10 year old demographic. I'm not really sure where they gathered all the songs from, but they had a lot that really hit the sweet spot for kids.
As a parent, it strikes me that finding music for kids that isn't outright painful isn't always the easiest thing. Sometimes I'll pull up a kids' Pandora station, but it ends up grating on my nerves before too long. And of course there are plenty of mainstream songs that work for the kids, but you know they don't appreciate them like adults do. Something more on their level can be important (looking back over Radio AAHS playlists, it seems like there was a fair amount of popular music mixed in too. It took some memory jogging, but I do recall that. So I guess the mix of children-specific and children-friendly is nice.).
I'm curious what other parents in the nation do for music for their kids. There's individual groups like the Okee Dokee Brothers (SJU!) and TMBG doing children's music, but I really do regret that there isn't an easy station to tune in for kids. Or maybe there is, and I just don't know about it?
Anyway, for those parents out there, here are a few song recommendations, back from my glory days of listening to kids music. And they've mostly been tested and approved by my kids, so hopefully they hold up for your kids too.
Joe Scruggs, "Bahamas Pajamas"
Rosenshontz, "Hippopotamus Rock"
Lenny Graf, "Water"
"Broccoli & Chocolate"
Jack Pearson, "Googolplex"
Cheech Marin (yes, him), "Red, Blue, and Yellow Too"
Video Game Post: Bite-sized Thrills
I don't have a whole lot of time to play video games anymore.
Okay, so that's not entirely true.
1987 Rewind: Game Forty-six
MINNESOTA 13, MILWAUKEE 1 IN MINNESOTA
Date: Thursday, May 27.
Batting stars: Tom Brunansky was 2-for-2 with a home run (his ninth) and a walk, scoring twice and driving in three. Gene Larkin was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring twice and driving in two. Gary Gaetti was 2-for-3 with two doubles, scoring twice and driving in one.
Pitching star: Juan Berenguer pitched seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and no walks with five strikeouts.
Opposition star: Greg Brock was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.
The game: The Twins scored six runs in the first and followed that with five runs in the third, making it a laugher early. Berenguer pitched an excellent game, retiring nine batters in a row at one point and never allowing more than one baserunner in an inning.
Of note: Kirby Puckett was 2-for-3 with two RBIs...Dan Gladden was 2-for-5 with a stolen base (his sixth) and three runs...Milwaukee starter Mike Birkbeck lasted only a third of an inning, surrendering six runs on six hits and a walk with no strikeouts.
Record: The Twins were 24-22, in second place, 3.5 games behind Kansas City.
Notes: Puckett raised his average to .324...Berenguer lowered his ERA to 2.20...Gene Larkin was the DH, rather than Roy Smalley.
Player profile: Based on his minor league stats, first baseman Greg Brock was supposed to be a superstar, but it didn't work out that way. In 1981 he hit .295 with 32 homers and an OPS of .901 in AA San Antonio. He followed that in 1982 with an average of .310 with 44 homers and an OPS of 1.094 in AAA Albuquerque. Both of those were hitters parks in hitters leagues, and he was already twenty-five in 1982, but even so, those are impressive numbers. Brock got a September callup in 1982 and was the Dodgers' regular first baseman in 1983. He hit 20 homers and had an OBP of .343, but he batted only .224. He had similar numbers in 1984, getting sent back to the minors for a couple of months. He had his best year as a Dodgers in 1985, batting .251 with 21 homers and an OBP of .332, but he declined somewhat in 1986 and the Dodgers gave up on him, trading him to Milwaukee. He rewarded the Brewers with his best year in 1987. He only hit 13 home runs, but he batted .299 with an OBP of .271 and an OPS of .809, the only time he posted an OPS of over .800. The next year, however, he slumped to .212 with only six homers. He stayed with the Brewers until the middle of 1991 as their mostly regular first baseman, but was released in July of that year. He signed with the White Sox but played only two games of AAA for them before ending his playing career. He is currently coaching high school baseball in Loveland, Colorado.