America's Pastime Edition

Ah...the baseball season is winding down. Of course, for diehard Mariners fans like me, the season wound down about the second week in April, but unless you favor one of the few teams still in contention, what is there left to the 2010 season but to hope--by God!--that Tampa Bay can prevail over the Yankees?


In honor of my favorite-thing-to-have-on-in-the-background-while-I-read-or-play-Words-With-Friends, I here present the All-Baseball Edition blog post.

First up, I've just started a fabulous biography called Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye. As if all the tall tales Satchel Paige loved to tell about himself weren't enough, his real story is even better. Imagine going from the slums of Mobile, one of twelve children born to a feckless father and hardworking mother, all the way to Negro Leagues superstar and then, at age 42, helping pitch the Cleveland Indians into the World Series! Amazing--and a window into growing up poor and black in the Jim Crow South.

Speaking of Satchel Paige, he was famous for his super-high-kick delivery, which might have inspired Alice's kick in movie version of Twilight in the baseball scene. Yes, the baseball scene. You know you want to see it again: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4828642331434326879#docid=9183757252098124406 .

And finally, we all know the Texas Rangers have a 6-7 record versus the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays this season, which doesn't bode well for the playoffs. That, and Cliff Lee (*sniff!*) is complaining of back pain, but--hey--they still have Josh Hamilton. Thanks to Kyle for pointing out a great website on folks giving their testimonies about the real You-Know-Who. Josh reduced me to tears. Check it out! http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Josh_Hamilton/. My takeaway: real manly men aren't afraid to get in bed with grandma.