Great expectations and great TV

So, a guy gets a chance to poach a couple of baseball series because of scheduling issues and he sure lives right.

Fenway and Travis Snider’s return that turned into a good story.

The Alomar Day and that sure turned into a solid story.

And now Brett Lawrie.

Not bad, good breaks all around.

As a writer, all you want is something that’s out of the ordinary if you’re doing a team every day, or several days in a row. It’s kind of rejuvenating to get something “extra” or removed from the run-of-the-mill.

As a wise old Grunt once told me back when I was wet behind the ears, you have to be able to embrace these kinds of things instead of resent them.

The easiest thing for a beat guy to do is get trapped in a same old, same old kind of world. Notes, games, notes, games, lather, rinse repeat.

Hard not to but when things present themselves like the arrival of a newbie who carries a load of expectations, you have to want to do it, to relish the chance to see something new, not throw your arms up in the air and wonder you have this extra gig.

Now, here’s a question about Lawrie that’s been rattling around in this cranium for a night or so.

Is he the most anticipated pro athlete to hit Toronto in years?

I’d say yes.

It’s mostly got to do with the game he plays, where you can track the career arc of young players and watch them develop from afar.

Doesn’t happen in the basketball, where you don’t know who the next big thing is until the draft in June and then he’s in camp in October.

Doesn’t happen in the pucks, I don’t think, because the truly great young prospects hit the big leagues quickly; I don’t imagine there are a lot of people charting the game-by-game progress of some minor leaguer or junior.

Football? There are too many guys.

Soccer? Do they have professional soccer in Toronto?

Anyway, there is no question that the kid from B.C. hits the big leagues with a big target on his back and it gives some juice to an otherwise ho-hum part of the season.

And keeps alive my string of pretty good stories to do.

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So, what is there about Baltimore?

Doesn’t seem to be an awful lot outside of crabcakes, to tell you the truth.

Except good TV. Gritty police TV, I guess.

Now, I have going to get beaten up by some friends for this (hello StackMack) but I’ve only seen about one episode of The Wire, which I’m told is a wonderful drama set here.

It may be, but it’s got to go a long, long way to beat this one:

That was as good a crime drama as there’s ever been. Luther Mahoney, the guy in the subway, and if Yahphet Kotto didn't have one of the great voices on TV I don't know who did.

Oh, and it had Melissa Leo.

And that’s never a bad thing.

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Mail.

Please.

Here.

You’re being a bit tardy this week but I guess that’s okay. With the game and travel schedule this week, not sure when we’ll do what so there’s no real urgency.

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Shameless plug for the folks at Canada Basketball.

The senior men have their only home games of the summer next week against the mighty Belgiums. Saturday in Toronto and Sunday in Hamilton and I’m told there are plenty of good seats available.

If you click here, you’ll find out all you need to know.

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Institutionalized Airport Paranoia, Vol. Too Many To Mention

I guess the plastic knives in the nice lounge at Pearson made me feel so safe because no one could get a real one and do something stupid.

Might have felt a tad more secure if they weren’t next to real forks that had four long steel tines that could have done as much damage as any real butter knife with a one-inch dull blade could have.

(Hmm, airport issues? I smell another series like our traffic one)

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Remember, with having to get my bearings at a new ballyard, we’ll hold off on the IGBT to see how things work out tonight.

If all goes according to Hoyle, we’ll get ‘em done Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

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Baltimore thing?

Thanks to all for the various suggestions, I’ll try to get to as many as I can with today, tomorrow during the day and Sunday night to kill but if you get in this neck of the woods and don’t go to Elements in Pikesville and try the crab macaroni and cheese, you’re not living right.

Trust me, I know mac and cheese ‘cause it’s the best comfort food going and it was a good find for a weary traveller last night.

Oh, and Vaccaro’s for a hunk of cake.

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So I wander out of the hotel yesterday to see what the city affords and, bang, there’s Camden Yards right in the heart of dowtown.

Wandered Eutaw Street behind right field and harkened back to the only other time I’ve been at the park.

It was late in the Horror That Was The 16-66 Season and Butch Carter, who knows people everywhere, decides when we’re in Washington for a game with the Wizards that we’re using the off-day to head to an O’s game.

Of course, he knows the guy who built Camden Yards or designed it or funded it or something big like that (Butch knew people!) so we’ve got great seats behind the dugout and it’s a nice enough night.

There’s four of us – Butch, me, an old Sun Grunt gone off to fame and fortune interviewing movie stars and, I believe, assistant coach and bon vivant Joe Harrington. Limo arrives, we make the drive from D.C. to the park, wander around a bit, have some barbecue at Boog Powell’s joint and around about the fourth inning we all look at each other and think: “Yeah, I’m tired, too. Let’s head back.”

Most fun I’ve ever had at four or five innings of major league game.

And we did get to see this; was nice to see him again yesterday on the walk.

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Comments

[doug]

I think your onto something...you can have the theme of the week for your blog, this week was driving, next airports, maybe followed by pet peeves etc,etc....and get a sponsor...."this weeks theme is airports brought to you by Pepto-Bismol"....I am looking forward to seeing this Lawrie kid, although I am torn as I think these kids have far too much pressure and media attention, but it is what it is.....wonder if AA has a reliever or a second baseman hiding anywhere in the minors?/....Ruth looks like a kid in that statue, not the Sultan of Swat...noticed on television last night a commercial for a new release movie this weekend...Return of Planet of the Apes or something like that...made me reminisce about the "real" Planet of the Ape movies with Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall those movies were classics and as a kid i never missed a one....

[The J]

I really like Camden yards. One of those modern parks that gives you a great feeling of being a classic. I remember getting a good pulled pork sandwich at the park when I was there.

[RD]

Doug, "Homicide" is good and all. But, the best Baltimore based show ever is "The Wire". I highly, HIGHLY, recommend! :)

[Shawn]

Hello...

This is probably a mail bag question.. or maybe you can do a list one day. Seeing the picture of the Babe got me thinking... who was the most dominant player in their sport? By this I mean...the next best guy wasn't even close

1. Babe Ruth
2. Lance Armstrong
3. Tiger Woods
4. Roger Federer
5. Mohammed Ali

[Lorie]

Please, Sir, might we ask for more of last evening's delectable dining details. Got that the entree was CRAB Mac and Cheese (Gosh, I initially thought you'd typed 'crap'.). But you've got to do better on the dessert! Was it Chocolate? Double? Decadent? Accompanied by Amaretto? Thanks.

[chili]

Homicide: Life on the Street... Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere... they don't make those shows on network TV anymore. All you see now are reality TV which doesn't look real at all. They're scripted. Which tells you what kind of audience dictates TV programming these days.
Well, at least there's still Harry's Law. I hope it doesn't get cancelled.

[capt kirk]

Eh Doug, great pic of the Babe. Did you take that one yourself? Looking at the flag pole in the top left, is that a Oriole? I know I always love to see a Bluejay or Cardinal, can't say if I've seen a real live Oriole. How bout you?

Blogger's note: It was indeed Photography By Me. And all kinds of orioles in Hazelville

[doug]

@Shawn....Woods hasn't approached Nicklaus's record as of yet....Nicklaus has 18 majors and 19 count them runner-up finishes...to me Nicklaus was and is a better player then Woods...and many pick Marciano over Ali..and don't forget DiMaggio and Williams either ...so none of those guys you mention are in my opinion not even the best in their sport never mind being so far ahead of the others..and to me Lance is a mirage anyone that doesn't think he wasn't using is in my mind in denial...in tennis what about Borg, McEnroe, Sampras,?? the quality of men's tennis isn't near what it was when those guys were on top and Laver as well...to me Borg is the best...just saying cheers...

[joeu]

@ Doug ( The Irregular )

I interpret Shawn's question to mean: when Tiger was on top, no-one else COMPETING AGAINST HIM was even close.

I would make the case for Gretzky and Shaq, because they were both players that an opposing team would plan to defend against, and still not slow them down.

[doug]

@joeu oh yea maybe your right....I took it to mean of all time not in their era...and yea Gretzky most definitely if that is the case and Jordan as well...but Ali and Frazier had some slugfests and Foreman was the best puncher of all time as he showed Ali, as well Norton could fight...what a glorious time in boxing it was..

[Heath]

Nice to see a win tonight. Along the lines of The Wire; Doug, you are soooooooo missing out. No other series comes close. We watch all the 5 seasons every year on DVD. Best television series ever. You'll love season 5 (the last) on a personal note. Watch one and you'll understand...at least people of your ilk will. Enjoy. (Question: How can someone that loves Treme have never seen all of The Wire? I only watched Treme BECAUSE of The Wire)

Oh, but need to telll you, The Wire is not for Super Son, at least not yet.
Enjoy Camden!

[Dan W]

'The Wire' (and Treme) was created by the guy who wrote 'Homicide': David Simon. It starts slow, but if you can watch the first 4 episodes (or whenever Omar gets introduced) you'll thank yourself later.