The baseball blogger ecosystem just got a bit prettier on Friday following the debut of Alyssa Milano's blog over at MLBlog.com. What in the world is Alyssa Milano doing writing about baseball? Well, I'm assuming it's a marketing vehicle for her new brand of baseball-themed clothing (teasingly) named "TOUCH" (her decision to use all caps, not mine). Of course, I don't doubt that she's picked up some interesting insight considering she's dated Josh Beckett, Carl Pavano, Barry Zito, Brad Penny and (if this site can be believed) Tom Glavine(?!). So, what does she have to say? For one, a strong opinion about all the called games due to weather:
So now I am proposing a new rule: Cold-weather cities just shouldn't host baseball games in April.Not a bad start, echoing many of the same sentiments expressed around these parts (although perhaps not to this extreme -- the entire first month? Although, that'd make for some hella nice home-stands later in the year.
That's it, end of problem. You're exempt if you play in a dome or have a retractable roof. And do not even think about shortening the season. Schedule cold-weather teams on the road until the weather warms up.
I mean, where is Global Warming when you need it? Can we now admit that the weather is shifting at a dramatic pace? I am fine with most of the other repercussions but when this dramatic shift starts to affect my baseball -- it's time to buy a hybrid.
She closes with a nice tribute to Jackie Robinson as well as an oddly placed link to the Alyssa.com message boards, just in case you wanted to converse with other Milano fans about, I don't know, your favorite Who's the Boss episode? Which sister was more powerful in Charmed? Guessing which mediocre pitcher she'll be linked with next? (Without bothering to look up his marital status, I'm going with Esteban Loaiza, who obviously likes to party.)
Previously on FanHouse:
Alyssa Milano Wants to Put Her Clothes on You
Matt Leinert Has Been Busy This Offseason
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
The oldes major league stadium is in Boston,the second oldest is in Chicago, the third is in New York. Tell those fans that their teams cannot host baseball until May, and don't even mention that it is just as cold in October, maybe colder. Perhaps we could move post-season baseball south. The crowds in Atlanta have been encouraging. Baseball is a game of tradition. If you can't stand the cold, watch it on tv. Rain-outs, snow-outs, they are part of the tradition. I'd watch my Cardinals play at 4 a.m. in February if that was my only chance to see them. Leave the schedule alone.
The smartest person I've heard on this issue has been Beano Cook, of all people. If Selig is insistant of scheduling games in the Northeast prior to April 15 (he claims these owners don't want to start the first two weeks of the season on the road, some owners have since disputed this claim) at least have the common sense to schedule them against a team that comes to town more than once. You could have given Cleveland a division opponent last weekend, & had Seattle in Minnesota, where if that's their only time in, you know they would get the games in.
Well, this is Bud Selig we're talking about. Not the brightest bulb in the pack. He practically knows NOTHING about running a major league baseball organization. This is the man who declared a tie in an All Star game because it was his bedtime.
With Don Imus' flap over insensitive jokes, the question arises, Are Black people too sensitive? Should blacks have been better able to laugh off these comments as a race? Should many of them not have gotten so upset, asking for Mr. Imus' ouster?
We all know by know the nature of the comments.
One big difference in this case is the jokes were directed at college students who were struggling to achieve a goal against great odds.They were not public figures or politicians but young girls a few years removed from high school. Would it be okay for Imus' to have made these comments about 15 and 16 year old high school girls? I think not.
Would you have seen this much debate if Imus had made these comments about the Jewish state or a group of fragile young jewish girls? The Uproar and termination would have been swift.
Many are trying to turn this story around to make the point that leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and others should not be the ones leading the charge to get Don Imus removed because of their history. If the playing field were level maybe those charges against them would have had a point. But because of the inequity of racism in this country, the chances for leadership for African Americans are limited. The problem is not that Jesse and Sharpton are speaking out but that black people don't have more speaking out because of the vacuum of power that has always been there.
Yes others such as Snoop Dog have said many dispaging things about women in song but the difference is power. Black rappers, entertainers and others do not have a consistent stage from which to vent lke Imus does. When a black person does cross what was considered the line like Arsenio Hall did many years ago by having Minister Farrakhan on his show, they suffer the consequences. When Hall had Farrakhan on his show, even though many objected, you see he was removed even though Hall's show was rated number 1 at the time.
Fair or not, the winds of power shakes its rattle and is loathe to change without incredible cost.
If you look at Imus comments in context, they were vicious and inconsiderate and have no place on a "common" stage today.
I believe the real point about this case is our society is not strong enough to look past such raucus comments. Ten years ago, these comments probably would not have brought as much emotion.
But with the advent of 9/11, the war going on, gas at an all time high and the stresses of today in our society, it seems everyone has a short fuse.
We as human beings are looking for things to give us an escape from these stresses, not mean spirited attacks on our mind and soul. And these comments did not help.
Sourceseeker.Net
I think that all games should be played regardless of weather, as long as I get to hold up in my house with Alyssa cozied up to watch.............
If you could be at all the cold weather Ball Parks at the same time, I'm sure by just looking at you would warm anybody up. Thank you Bob
Pretty interesting article, I didn't know she had her own blog, I might have to head over and check it out.