Perfect Eloquence: Review

Vin Scully, the most recognizable voice in all of baseball was a big little man. Revered by his peers and by Dodger fans all over the globe. Big in how he handled his work. Little was how he wanted to be. No big podium. A humble man who was just lucky to be part of broadcasting history.

He would never have agreed to a biography let alone write an autobiography. This is why 'Pull Up a Chair' was an average book that did not capture the Vin we know and could not get under the skin of the Vin we don’t know.

This is why ‘Perfect Eloquence’ is so strong. It’s not the life of Vin, but the tales about him. Memories of people who worked with him, baseball players and fans. In their own words they all paint a pretty picture. Vin would have waved it away, but eventually had pulled up a chair and leafed his way through the book, a sweet smile on his face.

All the memories are of a professional man who was a great human being. If you miss Vin, read this book, one tale at a time and be transported to better times, when years were improbable and evenings were pleasantly good, where ever you might have been.

My 2024 World Series

I had to!
The last time I saw my boys play live at a stadium was game 2 of the 2017 World Series. Way too long ago, so when they hoisted the pennant and were about to play the Yankees I knew I had to see a game.

I decided on a game in New York. It would save me 4 hours of flight either way and a handful of dollars. So I settled on going to game 4, the second game in the Bronx.

Now, little did I know the Dodgers would be up 2-0 before they travelled to New York. So, when I boarded my plane on the day of game 3 I was happy with the lead and would look for a bar to watch the game that evening.

Game 3
I landed at Taqueria Gramercy which is a Dodger friendly restaurant where I got a nice table close to a television. When game time arrived two more fans joined me at my table. The bar was filled with Dodger fans and one or two Yankee fans. It was a great experience. There were shots all around and there was Freddy doing his thing… again!

At Yankee Stadium
I’d never been to ‘new’ Yankee Stadium so I could add another MLB stadium to my visited list which now stands at 18. The ride there was bad. The subway was crowded and warm, but I made it and although the lines at the entrance of Yankee Stadium were long it was smooth getting in.

It’s like a temple of baseball worship. I liked the old stadium but this one has been adding some great moments in itself. But just the one World Series. I hoped my boys would celebrate that night with a sweep.

The Game
Well, Freddy did what he does best, in the first inning. Dodgers up 2-0 but it was obvious the Yankees were not going to lay down and take the sweep. Our boys weren’t that sharp. Probably tired of being so hot all the time. Yanks smelled blood and acted. Now, I was surrounded by Yankees fans so I was a bit anxious but they had a great night and honestly, for a series as classic as Yankees vs. Dodgers it honestly was good it wasn’t going to be a sweep.

After the game, Yankee fans praised me for my sportsmanship as I did theirs. I love fans who support their team. Even if they are Yankee fans.

Game 5
I had a flight back home during game 5 and no wifi so the moment we touched down at Schiphol Airport I whipped out my mobile and YES it looked like it had been one hell of a game. A stewardess noticed my cap and asked me if I knew they’d won. Yes they have. Oh, she said, so they have won the World Series. Yup, I said!

It was time for reflection, of big smiles and a bottle of good champagne to celebrate this awesome season the boys pulled out of the hat. I specifically think about Shohei, how he must feel. All that talent wasted for years with the Angels and now World Series champ with the Dodgers.

So…
It was an awesome experience. Being in NYC, meeting Dodger fans. Even in one occasion meeting Josh, who I first met during the tail gate before the 2012 opening day game in LA. Weird, in a city of over 9 million to see someone you know. Thanks NYC for the hospitality and the Yankees for being there and let’s do it again some day.

THIS.IS.NEXT.YEAR!

Farewell Fernando

When Vin died, I wrote: “Some people die young, which is horrible. Then there are people who reach a ripe old age and still die too young. Vin Scully is one of those people. One I thought would always be around.”

Well, we lost another big name and he did die too young. 63 is no age to leave our planet. Fernando Valenzuela came and conquered the MLB in unbelievable fashion. He won and won and won. Not only games and the 1981 World Series, but also the hearts of the Latin Americans in LA. He single handedly made them finally fall in love with the Boys in Blue. If you wonder why the Mexican community and the Dodgers were off to a bad start, read 'Stealing Home', by Eric Nusbaum. For a great insight of Fernando’s rise, watch the 30 for 30 documentary ‘'Fernando Nation'.

No Time

I see many pictures of Dodger fans taken with Fernando. I almost got one myself the day after the 50th opening day at Dodger Stadium in 2012. I met him just before he dove into the elevator. “Sorry, no time, I have to present the Cy Young to Clayton”. I’ll get one, one day, I thought. It’ll never happen now, but I’ll have this encounter and loads of pitching greatness on film to remember him by.

Thank you, El Toro, #34, Rest in Peace!

Ron Cey: Penguin Power: Review

This is Cey’s autobiography written together with Ken Gurnick, who was Dodgers beat writer for over 40 years. It’s an honest book, though not amazingly written. Take these lines from the book: “I always thought I would be the first domino to fall. It was a total surprise to everybody that Russell outlasted all of us with the Dodgers. Simply because through all of the articles, we had been brainwashed into believing that he was going to be the first one to go. I felt if push came to shove, they could get enough in return for me. I did not think Garvey would leave. I didn’t think they would push him out… So, I thought I was going to be the first one gone.”

I had to read that multiple times and am still not sure who was thought to be the first to go. Ken was either in a hurry of, if Ron wrote this himself, didn't proof read it.

Ron seems to be obsessed with who’s ‘in his corner’. On the other hand he is open and honest about Tom Lasorda (as opposed to the book ''My Way' which treats the subject as if he was a lovely kitten) and his relationship with Al Campanis.

As could be suspected there is mention of ‘The infield’, but in a book that’s 200 pages a chapter of 20 pages about the infield is a bit thin.

In the chapter about postseason results I was surprised to read Bill Buckner is (indirectly) to blame for another World series loss! In the 1974 World Series he..... I never knew that! According to Cey, Bill committed a 'cardinal sin'. there is an entire chapter on Bucker that's sweet and full of great memories of their friendship.

The chapter on Scully and Jarrin is fun and ties in with the book 'Perfect Eloqence' entirely about Vin Scully.

Finally something that always gets me: winning the world championship. It's not possible. Still, Peter O'Malley in his foreword as well as Ron refer to winning a world championship. Ow well...

Ohtani in Dutch newspaper

On October 3rd Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant published a 2 page article about Shohei Ohtani. The article is written by Koen van der Velden, a sports journalist stationed in the USA, who regularly writes about US-sports.
Honestly, I was surprised by the two page spread with the title ‘he hits ánd steals’ which also had three pictures of Ohtani hitting, stealing and playing with Decoy.
The level of writing was good. Often non-american writers miss something but this was well written.

Ofcourse I have something to nag about, as always. Koen writes about the play-offs which in the MLB is the postseason and he mentions that the Triple Crown has not been given out since 1937, which is only parlty true. It was the last time an NL-player won is.

Other than that: great read! It mentions the big off season contract the Dodgers offered Ohtani. Although he was recovering from surgery. His pitching sabbatical and how he zoned in adding another weapon: stealing more bases.
It ends with a mention of the Dodgers going for their 8th World Series championship and that Ohtani might be the missing piece to reach it.
In short: I’m a happy camper with this kind of exposure of the Dodgers in a Dutch newspaper. 😊

Heads Up!

Ever since I became a fan of the Dodgers, I’ve been wearing fitted caps. The original one ‘the players wear’. I love the pantone 294 color and the iconic interlocking L and A. I dare to say it’s the most recognizable MLB logo after the Yankees one. I, of course, change it up a bit with postseason patches and the gold edition World Series 2020 cap but other than that, I stayed faithful to the original, but sometimes you need a change of color, style or want to wear a bit more ‘out of the box’.

3 caps, 3 opinions
This year was extravagant for me. I really liked some caps that came out and bought the lot. First up is the Seoul Series cap with patch and the Dodgers name in hangul. I didn’t see our boys play in Seoul but visited Korea a month later which gave me a lot of time to wear it throughout the country.

The city connect jerseys are bland and plain but the cap… I like! It’s a great combination of the LA and the D in champagne. Playful and a nice dark color cap. It has some colored sprinkles on the underside of the bill and on the top button. A fun detail, also there on the jerseys.

Finally, and this might be an unpopular opinion… the All Star Game cap. I love it! The colors, completely not LA chique, are all over it and the lone star and Texas patch are wild. Makes for a colorful alternative.

The New Yorker - Shotime

It’s always fun to see a Dodgers-related cover on a magazine. Sure, on a sports magazine it might be expected, but on the New Yorker, a magazine full of commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry, that’s something else.

The artist
Mark Ulriksen has been a cover artist for the New Yorker for over 30 years. Of his 70 covers 12 are about baseball (most of them Yankees related, which is curious because he’s a Giants and Red Sox fan, but understandable because… The New Yorker). His latest featuring our own Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani
The cover features Ohtani seen from the back, just after a hit (probably hitting one out of the park) and in his back pocket a wad of money. Now, this piece of art was done when the ‘Ohtani financial scandal’ was still the talk of the town.
those hoping for a piece accompanying the art... you'll be disappointed. the cover itself is reason enough to get a copy, though.