Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Perfect Solution

The L.A. Times has a good editorial up about the bad umpire call the other day. As they noted, Major League Baseball does allow for the consultation of an instant replay to check on a disputed home run.

Commissioner Bud Selig today made kind of a half-assed "we'll look into it" statement. How about this, Bud? I know you don't like the idea of letting the replay overrule every arguable call because it will slow the game down. But how about permitting it if a review is requested by the umpire who made the call and the managers of both teams? This particular call is not controversial. The outcome of the game did not turn on it. The Cleveland Indians could have no rational motive to not allow the Detroit pitcher to have his achievement properly recognized...and if they did? Well, let the fans boo them instead of the umpire and the Commissioner.

• Posted at 6:26 PM · LINK

In, Out and Everywhere

In-and-Out Burger has long confined its burgering to California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Other states have begged them to expand into new territories but they've always refused...'til now. It's just been announced that at some as-yet-undetermined date, there will be In-and-Out in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. One presumes that if this works out, there'll soon be spreading in all directions.

I need to try In-and-Out again. As I mentioned here, I've been disappointed in my last few visits and have been trying to decide if my taste buds are changing or if I just plain got some bad burgers. I hope when they get to Dallas, they're as good as I used to think they were...and may still be.

• Posted at 5:17 PM · LINK

Today's Bonus Video Link

Whatever happened to Batman? He used to fight crime and uphold morality. Now, he's a cheap panhandler who you can see, in the video below, carted off by the police in handcuffs. Me, I blame the folks who write the comics. But at least the cops had the decency not to remove his mask when they arrested him...

• Posted at 2:32 PM · LINK

Blame Game

Keith Olbermann has some good perspective on this matter, which we mentioned here, where an umpire made an admittedly-bad call and cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a Perfect Game. And for all the booings and cursing at that ump, Jim Joyce, he's certainly being a mensch about it and owning up to his error.

I can understand the reticence of the Baseball Commissioner to not start a precedent of overruling umpires...but it has been done before and in this case, it in no way would affect the outcome of the game. Also, the umpire who made the call is asking for the reversal. Seems to me the game itself is diminished if it so favors a strict interpretation of some rule over simple honesty.

[P.S. Added a bit later: I should have added that the pitcher, Armando Galarraga, has also been a fine gentleman about it all. Also, I fixed a link that didn't link.]

• Posted at 10:39 AM · LINK

Something Else I Won't Be Buying...

James Bond's Aston Martin. Complete with ejector seat.

• Posted at 3:09 AM · LINK

Candid Kander

That's a photo of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songcrafting team reponsible for (among many others), Chicago, Cabaret, Steel Pier, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Woman of the Year. Oh, yeah...and they also wrote the song, "New York, New York," the royalties from which have probably paid them more than most tune writers see in a lifetime. Mr. Ebb — he's the one at right — is no longer with us. Mr. Kander, happily, is...and he's still writing, in some cases to finish unfinished Kander & Ebb projects.

He doesn't give a lot of interviews so it's exciting to see this site which features a long one plus a video of some excerpts. Thanks to Bob Elisberg for telling me about it so I could tell you about it.

• Posted at 3:04 AM · LINK

One More Thing About Parking for Comic-Con...

Jim Guida informs me that there are no in-and-out privileges. Once you take your car out, you can't come back in.

• Posted at 12:22 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

Hey, what was on NBC's daytime schedule in 1967?

And while we're at it, what did they have on in the evenings, commencing in Fall of that year?

• Posted at 12:18 AM · LINK

Programming Notes

Turner Classic Movies will remember Dennis Hopper with a little film fest the evening of Tuesday, June 8. They'll be running The Sons of Katie Elder, True Grit, Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider and Night Tide. Five good movies.

The most recent Lewis Black concert film, which was first offered as a pay-per-view event, comes to Comedy Central on Saturday, June 12. It'll probably be heavily bleeped so you may want to opt for the DVD version of Stark Raving Black, which will be released the following week. Here's an Amazon link to get yourself a copy.