Good for Khiry. Bad for Nebraska.

Three-star, whippet-quick wide receiver/centerfielder Khiry Cooper was drafted yesterday by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 5th round, meaning his chances of becoming a Husker just got a whole lot slimmer. (Cue the Carl Crawford remorse here.)

For the superficial and easily impressed (i.e. myself), Cooper offered a lot to like when it comes to young men who have yet to play Big 12 football. He was fast, already clocking a 4.5 in the 40. More than any other Pelini recruit, he passed the "pissing match" test when he chose Nebraska over fellow big swingers like Arkansas and Michigan. KOLN called him "Nebraska's Deion Sanders," which I perceived as a race-based slight for Darin Erstad, but it's a favorable comparison nonetheless.

And now, in all likelihood, he'll spend the next four years kicking around places like Rancho Cucamonga and Cedar Rapids rather than catching passes in Lincoln. Of course there's no guarantee that any prospect will ever make the show but if Cooper is as talented as has been predicted, the allure of a pro baseball career is infinitely more alluring than that of a professional gridder.

Your average career is probably double the length, you can make more money sooner and, as evidenced by the Wells, Kruks and Becks of the world, you don't really have to be athletic or in shape to succeed at baseball. Of course, Cooper was drafted because he is athletic and in shape but your chance of staying that way through your late 30s is a lot more likely on the diamond (see: Kenny Lofton).

Unless the Angels seriously lowball the kid--and he possesses a heart of pure gold--I don't see him in scarlet in cream come August.

The Battle for Nebraska

I count myself a fan of interleague play. Sure, I wish there was a little more variance in the schedule. I can think of about 20 teams I would rather see the Red Sox play than the Braves again, and that's always the beef from the traditionalists. For every Subway (or El Train) series, there's a Washington v. anybody match-up that just isn't that interesting.

Who cares who Toronto plays? What's at stake between San Diego and Seattle? I don't know, but to lump tonight's Royals-Rockies match-up in that same unsavory group would be a grave mistake. The fate of an entire state is at stake.

When it comes to professional baseball, Nebraska is a vast wasteland. (Insert your own "when it comes to baseball?!" joke here.) Before the Rockies came around, Kansas City was the only team that could be considered a regional interest, but outside of places like Nebraska City, even that was a stretch.

Then Eric Young ushered in the Rockies era with a home run and the Western half of the state had a team to root for that was less than 10 hours away; games they could hear on the radio, or even attend. Ever since, the state's been divided somewhere around the 100th Meridian. Half purple, half blue, or at least that's how it exists in my mind.

So you see, this isn't just some nondescript interleague series between perennial bottom-feeders. This is for bragging rights for an entire season in the Good Life. This is to get a Runza at the winning team's stadium and gain total commercial control of both I-80 and the North Platte and Niobrara Rivers. This is for Grover Cleveland Alexander, the greatest hardballer ever to call the Cornhusker state home.

It's also to ensure that the winner won't have the worst record in their league come Saturday.

The tension is palpable.

Morning Walk-thru - An Ink Splot

Not good, fellas...I'm not a graphic designer, but I know a couple and that leads me to say, the newest Kentucky Derby logo looks like crap.

I think that's a horse there underneath the twin spires but I'm not quite sure. Kind of looks like the Broncos current logo, which, we all know, is far inferior to its predecessor. Look at that steam coming from the old bronco's nose! He was fired up.

This horse just looks futuristic and if there's one thing that isn't futuristic, it's the structure of a horse. Seeing this, it's hard to believe that I bought a hat featuring the 131st Kentucky Derby logo to commemorate my one and only (to date) trip to Louisville. That was good. Horse, rider, rose, twin spires.

Just about all you need.

Who is worse right now?...the Cards or the Yankees? Technically, the Cubs are worse than the Cardinals, but it hardly feels that way even after the Cubs pissed a win down their leg against the Pirates thanks to a cheap home run from Jason Bay.

Either way, I really couldn't be happier.

Need tickets?...And by that I don't mean I have a bunch to sell. Some good tips here for getting in to games anywhere except Boston. Not sure these would work in the Fens but even the Cubs seem to have ample ducats available right now.

Thank you, Scott, for the link. That's the first official tip here at HiPlainsDrifter.com, which is sort of a watershed moment. All the big blogs have official tip lines and while I'm hesitant to add that feature at this point, you can always reach me at brandonlvogel [at] gmail.com.

Book It!..Good friend, former competitor and better writer, Ty Hildenbrandt has posted his first piece for SIonCampus. Ty was the guy who beat me in the first Next Great Sportswriter competition over on FOXSports.com and we--we being those of you who read this blog and unyieldingly support HiPlainsDrifter.com-- hated him for that. Luckily, the second contest came around and I was able to realize he's a pretty good guy for a Yankee/Fighting Irish fan.

Check out his piece and then feel free to leave awe-inspired comments on his blog, QuickSlants.com.

Morning Walk-thru - So Many Sports, So Little Time

Busy weekend so this is gonna be a marathon. Don't forget to grab a plastic cup of water about half way down. Those people are volunteers. They're only paid by being useful.

Anything is Moss-ible*...Randy Moss. Patriot. The two words go together like Entourage and funny but together they will be under the New England autumn sun four short months from now.

Can it work? I think so. The Patriots have a pretty good track record with this sort of thing, but this will be Bill's biggest challenge yet.

Personally I'm pumped. I'm also not a Patriots fan (so maybe the two are related). Always felt the Pats were a little boring, what with all their winning and the such. Now, there should be some fireworks week in and week out.

Tom Brady's publicist has to be the happiest person in the world right now.

*These are not my words. I'm not afraid to make a lame play on words, but this is perhaps the lamest I've ever seen and it's from some random Minnesota Vikings fan from a Monday night game about six years ago.

D-Wade has more time to hang out with Charles Barkley now...The Baby Bulls appear to be growing up, and the defending champs just looked old as Chicago swept Miami.

I like this. Chicago's a fun team to watch once you get past the fact that their team is 1/6th Dukies. Every time I see Kirk Hinrich with the ball I can't help but think: this is a guy who has spent the vast majority of his life hanging out in Sioux City, Iowa and now here he is dropping in a runner over Shaquille O'Neal. Always amazing.

Throw in Andres Nocioni, who is NOT Italian, and gritty, gutty Scotty Skiles and the Eastern Conference is suddenly interesting.

Speaking of Chi-town...Cubs actually have a three-game winning streak going right now. Sweet Lou looks like he might be finding a line-up he likes with Theriot at short, Soriano in left and Pie in center.

Of course, this can all be attributed to the little, statistical wake-up call I gave the Cubs last week.

R.I.P. Josh Hancock...Sad day in St. Louis, following the news of Josh Hancock's accident, the second Cardinals pitcher to die in less than five years. Oddly enough, they were set to play the Cubs when Darryl Kile died in 2002. It may be a rivalry, but I doubt the Cubs and Cards could be any closer than they were on those two days.

Hooray Huskers...I really don't give a damn about the NFL Draft. Really, I don't. Draft coverage is like Scandinavian pop music to me: annoying and incessant. My only real interest in the event is as a measuring stick for the current value of Dear Old Nebraska U, and, in that respect I was pretty pleased.

St. Louis decided they needed another Husker on their D-Line, taking Adam Carriker right where everyone thought he would go. (And that would be the highest Nebraska draftee since former Ram, Grant Wistrom.)

The Packers realized they needed a Nebraska back to fill-in for the recently departed Ahman Green, taking Brandon Jackson a round or two ahead of where the pundits thought he'd be. I said it during the season and I'll say it now: Brandon Jackson will be a solid if not spectacular NFL back. He runs pretty well, can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he pass blocks like a banshee (This explains the accompanying photo. They tell me it's a banshee and apparently banshees love Komodo dragons.)

With Stew Bradley going in the the third round to Philly, Nebraska had three players go on the first day which was the best total of any Big XII school not named Texas (who only recruits first-round talent).

We're getting there, Nebraska, we're getting there.

Hello?..."Yeah, this head ball coach." Quite simply the best part of 12+hours of Saturday draft coverage appears below. I will believe forevermore that this really is the way Steve Spurrier answers the phone. Click-clack.



And finally...It's Derby week. I feel a bit unprepared to this point, but now that we're in the stretch run I'm looking to make a strong move to catch up to the field. Stay tuned for further details...

Freshly brewed Bugs & Cranks

Just because the Cubs lost to the Brewers today doesn't mean we can't think about baseball and it's glorious relationship with beer. (Okay, it would've been much better from a baseball standpoint if the Cubs had swept the Brewers, but they didn't. And there's still beer.)

Click here for the first in my two part MLB Draught 07 series.

Photo: WallyG

Morning Walk-thru - Wynalda Scores!!!

Coach Taylor totally takes the heat off Altman (almost)...I wonder if former Arkansas head coach Dana Altman felt any kinship with Dillon High's Eric Taylor last night during Friday Night Lights.

For those that missed it, Taylor took the TMU job without consulting the family, a whole bunch of other stuff happened--divorce, infidelity, break-up, trip to police HQ, your typical week following a high school football team--and I was sure that, in the end, Dana would have some company as Coach Taylor reversed field and decided to stay at Dillon.

But, this being television, that will have to wait for next week. For now, Altman, you're on your own.

Hey! Hey!...The Cubs got the first win of 07 and they did it in an unusual fashion, making actual baseball plays. They got their sac bunts down (except for Lilly, that is, but that ended up working out), hit the ball with runners in scoring position and generally didn't blow it. Shocking really, especially when you consider that Bronson "Worst Hair in the Majors" Arroyo struck out nine in seven innings.

But Lilly was better. His line: 7 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. The Cubs took their lumps for overspending on Lilly, but I had a feeling early in February that he might exceed expectations.

Of course, I can't back that up with anything, but I firmly believe that Lilly won't be a disappointment when it's all said and done. There are plenty of players on this squad who can fill that role.

Soriano has certainly been aggressive early on, Lee looked awful on each of his three strikeouts, and Sweet Lou jumped all over Ryan Dempster after giving up a walk in the ninth and delivered the shortest mound meeting of the season but we'll save the sorrow for another day.

Cubs win!

Meet my hero, Eric Wynalda...One of the fastest ways to my heart is to hate Jim Rome, and, unless it was just the beer talking, that appears to be the case with US Soccer's Uncle Sam.

In an interview with Christian Franek of FulhamUSA.com, Wynalda had this to say about the king of the jungle:

You will never get a guy, in me, who is more of a believer in the American player. Jim Rome can suck my ****! And he should be very afraid, because I’m the kind of guy, if I get too many drinks in me, I will club his ass. I’ve been on with Jim Rome, and I said, “Let me get this straight, you’re more impressed with water polo???"

That's the money quote and odds are you've already seen it, but what's interesting is that the rest of the interview is pretty enthralling in it's own right. Wynalda shoots from the hip regarding everybody: Landon Donovan, Juergen Klinsmann, Sunil Gulati and, his old friend, Bruce Arena.

Could Wynalda "fix" American soccer like he claims in the interview? Who knows, but it feels like he's trying and that's good enough for me.

A lot of people can't stand to listen to Ron Santo call a Cubs game, but, and I'm probably the least impartial source on this, love it because his pain and frustration is so apparent over the air.

It's the same deal with Wynalda but on a different scale. Feeling dismayed by the Cubs is just about the most pedestrian feeling in all of sports, but that love and loathe relationship with U.S. Soccer is entirely novel for a national audience. Or at least it should be.

If loving America (and its soccer team), drinking a few too many on occasion, and cursing a little too often is wrong then you might as well be Jim Rome.

Rack it.

Disclaimer: If you only care about sports talk, you can stop reading now as this last bit is solely TV related.

The Office turns tonight?...Tonight's episode could be the turning point for The Office. As good as the show is, I've always felt like the dominant Jim-Pam dynamic might be the show's eventual undoing.

Quite simply, the tension between the two is the storyline. It's brilliantly funny and people turn in for a lot of different reasons, but Jim-Pam has become one of the great fictional relationships of our time. Eight-five percent of viewers care more about that fictional relationship than they do their own and how do you resolve that? This is what makes the show more than just a series of sketches.

I don't foresee a season where the two lethargic gazers are together, because, well, what then? Michael and Jan? Dwight and Angela? It doesn't matter how funny the show is, the Romeo and Juliet dynamic accounts for quite a bit and everything else will fail in comparison.

So that means it can't happen until the final episode ever, but how long are people willing to wait? Four years? Seven years? Ten years? Other sitcoms have stuck around for that long and none of them were as good as The Office so if anyone can pull it off, it might be this crew.

But honestly, I'm more interested to see how they play it rather than how it plays out, and that makes me a little uneasy...and probably a victim of overthnking.

(Aside: Thank you, NBC, for finally realizing that putting Scrubs between The Office and 30 Rock was like swapping crap for creme in an Oreo. Nine'o'clock no longer tastes like shit.)

HiPlains Bookshelf - Opening Day Edition

Today is officially opening day--sorry, any day that includes the Cardinals as my only viewing option hardly feels like baseball season--and, like the girls in sundresses and guys in sandals I've seen recently just because we've topped 55-degrees, everyone can pretend it's summer even thought it's still damn cold and mostly miserable outside. Such is the power of baseball.

But if you're not at the park today and seeking more than Baseball Tonight can offer alone, you're in luck. In anticipation of Opening Day, publishers have been trotting out baseball books for the past couple of months and there are a couple of new ones worth your time.

As a whole, baseball writing often represents the best in the genre. Something about the old-fashioned Americana nostalgia of it brings the best writers to the sport and the best out of writers who cover all sports. Below are my thoughts on two new titles and two relatively new classics, but there are number of interesting titles I have yet to read and you can find links to their Amazon pages in the sidebar.

Fantasyland - Sam Walker

In the first-person, fan-obsessed tradition of Blythe and Simmons, Sam Walker, a scribe for the Wall Street Journal, tackles fantasy baseball as a first time owner in the "most competitive" league in the country, Tout Wars.

While the rest of Walker's league is made up of professional fantasy baseball writers (still, the oddest profession to me), the author goes for a mix of science and personal survey, actually going on the road and utilizing his WSJ access to meet Jacque Jones, Bill Mueller and a handful of others.

The actual story of Walker's season, while fun, isn't nearly as interesting as the cast of characters who populate Tout Wars. These are the people who inform the people who beat you senseless every year.

Crazy '08 - Cait Murphy

This book's sub titular claim, "How a Case of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History," is pure hyperbole, but Murphy's tale of the 1908 season is a fascinating historical record.

While baseball was certainly a force in the early-20th century, people actually did gather around electronic scoreboards to "watch" the game just like that Miller High Life commercial by the hundreds, this book exposes how the sport still ran by the seat of it's pants. One umpire with three game balls per game, whiskey at the park, World Series ties due to darkness, crowds ringing the outfield. It definitely was professional baseball, but it ran like your average coal-town team.

There's an added bonus for Cubs fans as Chicago was a veritable dynasty during the time, winning more games in a five-year span than any team ever and that record still stands. "Whoever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" Frank Chance asks in the book.

Well, Frank, only 90-years worth of heavy-heart fans. Painful irony defined.

The Numbers Game - Alan Schwarz

If you've read Moneyball, this is the logical next step. An exhaustive look at the passionate link between baseball and statistics, Schwarz leaves no bag untouched. Strat-O-Matic Baseball, Retrosheet, SABR and Bill James, the evolution of the box score, the book literally touches on everything.

Perhaps the best baseball book I've read in the past five years. Well worth your time and $13.95.

Three Nights in August - H.G. Bissinger

I was a bit skeptical about Bissinger's second act in the sports book realm after the stunning success of Friday Night Lights, but this microscopic look at one series between the Cubs and Cardinals provides a pretty good look into the mind of Tony LaRussa and the clubhouse chess games that make up the American pasttime.

As enjoyable as it might be for Cubs fans to revel in the glory in Crazy '08, it's equally painful to hear LaRussa scheme for Wood and Prior back when they were world beaters ready to kick down the door to the Hall of Fame.

Didn't quite work out that way, and now LaRussa's the manager of the defending world champions. An excruciating, but necessary reminder of the way things were.

Play ball. Drink beer. Eat hot dogs. Baseball is here.

Morning Walk-thru - There was a lot of mud, but it was THEIR mud

Another stellar episode...of Friday Night Lights last night. They played in a monsoon in a cow pasture and Dillon won to "go to state" and it was all intercut with an attempted rape sequence. Can't say I've ever seen that before, but it was surprisingly powerful in the face of being creepy and I think that pretty much sums up the first season of the show.

Let's face it, this is a soap opera with football. The melodrama is always on the brink of overwhelming you but it never quite does...because there's football. Bi-polar disorders, rampant infidelity, paraplegic self-pity, rape, algebra, it all sounds like a bit much...but there's football. Hell, the Killers were prominently featured last night...but there was football...and Texas.

I don't think you can underestimate the importance of the setting. Where else could this show take place? Greasy Whataburgers, Wranglers and oil derricks add a lot of flavor.

All in all, a great hour of my life and the good news is, according to the post-show promo for next week's episode, we've got an "exceptional" one on tap for next week.

Who says these games don't mean anything?...Ladies and gentlemen, your 2007 Mayor's Cup champions...the Boston Red Sox. By defeating the Twins last night 5-4 Boston won the preseasons series with Minnesota and the cup that comes with it.

How come nobody knows about this? Watching the game last night was the first I'd ever heard of it. Apparently because the Twins and Sawx both reside in Ft. Myers for the Spring and play each other twice a week, they created a traveling trophy and now it will reside in the Bean for all of 2007.

The Dice-K signing is already paying dividends.

Speaking of Spring Training games...I have no desire to go to one. Watching that game last night, the crowd kinda freaked me out.

First off, being Florida, the median age was about 57. Secondly, everyone just kind of sits there silently. Sure there are some snow birds who genuinely care about seeing a bunch of non-roster invitees get their ABs but it seems like most people were just there to watch and not cheer.

It looked like a video game baseball crowd, just a mash of beige colored flesh and blue and red t-shirts that occasionally created a dull roar, which I suppose is fitting; pretend baseball games get pretend crowds, just like on the PS2.

Spring isn't just for the players, it's for me too. I need it to get ready as a fan and sorting out who I actually have to follow and who I don't is the manager's job. I don't need to see the auditions.

An armistice for Uncle Sam's Army...In a painfully ugly game, the U.S. finished with a nil-nil draw in their friendly with Guatemala last night, putting an end to the three-game winning streak that had enraptured the nation during a lackluster N.C.A.A. Tournament. (Yeah, it's true. Where were you?)

The lone bright spot for the Yanquis that my untrained soccer eye could see was Eric Wynalda. The former national team player has continued to provide honest, sometimes scathing, analysis during the games, displaying his passion for U.S. Soccer while keep them in check with frequent critiques.

Even better, however, is his readily apparent disdain for every other team in CONCACAF. Seeing yet another Guatemalteco fall to the pitch like his Achilles had just been slashed by an American spike was entertaining for two reasons: 1) flopping is funny, and 2) waiting to hear what Wynalda would say. (And don't even get him started on Mexico).

In a somewhat related note, this football game in Texas was not played in a pasture. Ironically, it looked like it was played in a large high school football stadium.

The Morning Walk-thru - Enough of "Our Country"

We got it...Nobody likes John Mellencamp's "Our Country" but at this point, the only thing that approaches the absolute awfulness of the song itself is writing and talking about the awfulness of the song. I think every writer with column space has bitched about this in the past 6 months. It has to stop.

Don't do it Dana...I'd love to read Tom Shatel's column about Dana Altman's rumored departure for Iowa but I can't because he's only available in the e-edition of the Omaha World-Herald now. Thanks for that.

Hawkeye State, however, lists Altman as their most likely choice for the head Hawkeye job and I'll probably weep if he goes. Dana has spurned major conference suitors before, but somehow the timing seems right.

Creighton didn't quite deliver on their lofty preseason ranking this year, two-thirds of their scoring is gone and, the big thing, Iowa City ain't that far away.

I actually wondered when and where Creighton would move beyond being simply a good mid-major, but if Altman leaves the whole thing could be over. No more tournament appearances, no more sell-out crowds 17K deep. Of course it wouldn't be that way forever, but Altman is Creighton basketball. He goes and the longest period of prolonged success in school history dies. That simple.

The Jays did just sign a Rivals Top 150 recruit, though, so maybe that's a good sign. Would he come if Altman were leaving? Probably not, which just means that he'd leave too if Altman crossed the Missouri River but I have to believe otherwise. Reality has proven to be unsatisfactory.

Schilling writes a lot...The Morning Walk-thru is a bit abbreviated today due to my additional post on the Schilling-Shaughnessy blog feud over on Bugs & Cranks. Check it out. Comment if you're so inclined. It's all free.

The Morning Walk-thru - Durant don't come for free

Man, that was close...I've been a little concerned about the Celtics lately. First they go off and beat the Spurs, in San Antonio no less, for the first time since Tim Duncan entered the league. Then last night they go up on Charlotte 54-39 at the half in a game they had to lose. The Celtics are 3 games back of Memphis in the race for last place and Charlotte is nipping at their heels.

But then Boston started being Boston again and gave up 30 points while only tallying 13 of their own in the fourth quarter and falling 92-84 at home.

That's more like it. I didn't actually watch the second half as I was too distraught after the first, but I'd like to think that the crowd just held up placards that collectively formed a giant photo of Kevin Durant and the Celtics got the message.

Don't blow this for us Doc.

Where can I get a refurbished Nintendo?...The much anticipated third installment of Brad Bortone's Bats and Bytes series examining video game baseball is here. We're talking about the Nintendo era at this point and I'd give anything to play Bases Loaded right now.

Actually, that's not true. I'm sure I could probably just go to Google and within minutes be playing a version of the game online, but I'm not willing to do that. It's just not the same without the rectangle controller.

Oh I'm Shameless!...Speaking of Bugs & Cranks, my first post for them is up now. I'm quite excited to be contributing to the site and the writing there is truly top notch.

Traffic Cop...In a bit of site traffic news, I got my first referral from my sponsorship of Michael Barrett which was more exciting for the fact that someone actually looked up Barrett's stats.

Also, someone reached hiplainsdrifter.com by entering the Google search "Dana Altman leaving Creighton." This nearly gave me a heart attack but the good news is, I couldn't find any supporting evidence anywhere. Not even on my own site.

The Morning Walk-thru - This is MY fantasy

Held the fantasy draft for...my Yahoo! Fantasy League, brilliantly titled Snake Farm, last night and I'm pretty pleased with the results.

I'm no fantasy geek, in fact I've only recently resumed the pretend games, but I'm pretty excited about my squad. Check out the roster for your 2007 Fruit Jar Drinkers a.k.a The Crazy 28...

C Kenji Johjima SEA
C Ramon Hernandez BAL
1B Justin Morneau MIN
1B Prince Fielder MIL
2B Freddy Sanchez PIT
2B Howie Kendrick LAA
3B Miguel Cabrera FLA
3B Garrett Atkins COL
SS Miguel Tejada BAL
SS Troy Tulowitzki COL
OF Alfonso Soriano CHC
OF Vladimir Guerrero LAA
OF Matt Holliday COL
OF Ichiro Suzuki SEA
OF Nick Swisher OAK
UTIL Ryan Zimmerman WAS
BN Bill Hall MIL
BN Alex Gordon KC (Nebraska represent!)
BN Rocco Baldelli (Pride of New England)

SP Roy Halladay TOR
SP Jeremy Bonderman DET
RP Mariano Rivera NYY
RP B.J. Ryan TOR
P Brandon Webb ARZ
P Felix Hernandez SEA
P Johnathan Papelbon BOS
BN Scott Kazmir TB
BN Brian Fuentes COL

My only concern? Rockies off days, and catcher but not much you can do there.

Less than two weeks away now...

The Morning Walk-thru - Size 46 Gators

They're not crocodile boots, but I'll take 'em...While watching Florida-Tennessee two nights ago, I wondered why the Gators were wearing what looked to be sueded uniforms. Was velour now for more than just sweatsuits? Then I remembered that Florida was a Nike school and Nike had used some interesting themed prints during football season on their undershirts so I looked a little closer and, sure enough, the Gators were wearing Gator. (Picture here.)

In actuality this should be horrific, but in reality it's barely noticeable if not a bit Magical. (See: T-Mac) But I like the idea behind what Nike seems to be calling the Culture Print. Take some aspect of a school's history, mascot or geography and incorporate it in to the uniform mix. Sounds like a great idea to me, but there are varying levels of success.

The Gators, Seminoles, and Trojans are a little too literal for my tastes, but Alabama and Texas more than make up for it in originality.

The Tide took Bear's houndstooth check and used it for neckline trim during footbaw season in perhaps the finest tribute since Landry's fedora patch.

And Texas, well, they went all Western on us with a hand-tooled leather pattern. I am 100% in favor of this and I'm generally required to hate all things Longhorn.

Word is, that Florida jersey is actually their "tournament special", so it seems likely that it will be Pattern Madness come March.

It's good to be Tim Riggins...My initial assessment of Friday Night Lights was pretty indecisive, but I'm fully hooked now and that's mostly because of the mythic Riggins.

You want to talk about legendary high school career? Riggins basically gets to behave like a single 32-year-old man while he's still seventeen. In last night's episode he was working on his truck (like showering in Texas) when he told an ankle-biter to go away because he was hungover, then softened and taught the tyke to throw a spiral before going into the kid's house, snatching a beer and cracking it in front of the lil' guy's mom, who probably would've attacked him like it was an Axe ad if not for the present company.

That's living the dream.

Way better than a jersey...On Tuesday I touched on Michael Barrett's blue blood and after the Pierzynski donnybrook last season I proclaimed him the Cubs de facto leader, but last night I decided to do something in support of the Cubs backstop.

I am proud (really) to announce that hiplainsdrifter.com is the official sponsor of Michael Barrett's Baseball-Reference page. The ad may or may not show up at this point as every my comments have yet to be approved. We'll see if they censor my Pierzynski pot shot.

Sadly, Shawon Dunston's page is locked up through mid-June, but Doug Dascenzo is available for the low, low price of $10 as is Dwight Smith who, in 1989, scintillated in the outfield alongside the eventual Rookie of the Year, Jerome Walton.

In case you're wondering exactly what the ROY award is worth, it's apparently $5. Jerome is available for $15.

The Morning Walk-thru

The season starts now...Spring Training has begun and the traditional slate of non-stories bubble up from Florida and Arizona every day now: Dice-K throws BP, Wood hurts himself and misses 8 hours, Barry Bonds has a funny t-shirt (which actually might be sorta remarkable, who knew he had a sense of humor?). The important thing isn't what happens in Spring Training, it's that Spring Training is happening and with that comes the promise of everything American: watery beer, cheap encased meats and baseball.

But video game companies are ready to let fans get started now. They time the release of their games just early enough so the rosters won't be quite right come Opening Day but who the hell cares? You can play (virtual) baseball while there's still snow on the ground.

This week will see the release of Major League Baseball 2K7 and MLB '07 The Show, but before taking the next step forward in hardball software, let's first take a look back courtesy of Bugs & Cranks writer Brad Bortone, who delivered the first of what is sure to be an interesting series looking at the history of baseball video game.

While Bortone focused on the early history of baseball gaming, and I remembered a handful of games played on my father's Odyssey, I couldn't help but look ahead to the true rise of baseball on the NES. Everyone seems to agree that RBI Baseball was the first true quantum leap forward, but, looking back, I always favored Bases Loaded.

I knew BL was the game for me once I saw that the infielders actually fired the ball over to first rather than using the long-toss lob that made most grounders a judgment call. Sure it didn't have real teams, uniforms, stadiums or players, but it did have video franchises in such remote outposts as Kansas, Hawaii and Omaha.

The fake players went on to become as renowned as many major leaguers for a generation of young fans. Tell me if you recognize these names: Frieda, Fendy, Marcus, Gantos, Patson. Perhaps more telling, those all paled to Jersey's immortal Paste: simply the greatest fictional baseball player ever, beating out such luminaries as Sidd Finch and Roy Hobbs.

In fact, Paste may have been the model for the modern-day slugger. Undeniable talent with a crucial character flaw. While Paste possessed the power to hit mammoth home runs off nearly any pitch, he was also as likely to be tossed before the game became official. His penchant for taking issue with plunkings was legendary and, if you were a savvy manager, you could count on him being tossed before you even had to use your set-up man.

My brother and I played a lot of baseball games from a lot of different sources. Bo Jackson, Tecmo, Griffey Jr., Little League Baseball and even Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball (play it here), where Diablo hit with a freakin' mace!

Even that wasn't as intimidating as seeing Pace dig in.

We all speak "baseball"...I happened to catch some of NESN's Red Sox spring training coverage and after an interview with Dice-K I started to wonder about the interpreters these teams employ. How did they get this job? What are they paid? Do they realize they're some of the first people to infiltrate the inner baseball circle without any real connection to the game?

This piece from the Sunday New York Times answered many of those questions. For example, the Sox hired a Harvard grad to aide their two Japanese players and the Yankees will spend about $300K this season on their interpreters/media assistants. But the one thing I'm still wondering is: do the players have a say in who gets the job?

The NYT piece points out that these interpreters don't really have a definite job description. They're everything from a personal assistant to a warm-up partner in addition to bridging the language gulf. But if that's the case and you're a player, wouldn't you want some say in who your personal guide through Americana is going to be?

Think about it, every time you order a pizza or go to the grocery store or talk to the pitching coach, some guy is going to be the intermediary. The story calls them "shadows," and if some team dropped $50 million on me, I'd make sure that I got a person I could spend an entire year with. Giving multi-million dollar investments Johnny Ivyleague violates every single thing we've learned about entourage assembly.

Should I ever end up as a pro in Japan, I'm requesting, no demanding, Bobby Valentine. Or Bill Murray. He's gotta know after Lost in Translation.

The Departed does it...there was a lot to love about The Departed: the cast, Boston, the Irish mob, that Dropkick Murphy's song, but I was pulling for it last night at the Academy Awards simply because it'd been six years since we had a Best Picture winner that would appeal to your average meat head sports fan. (Not to say all sports fans are meat heads, certainly not the case, but look at it this way: the Oscars is like the Super Bowl for people who don't care about the Super Bowl.)

The last film to fit that bill was Gladiator in 2000. Look at the winners since then and tell me if your ordinary average guy, the guy you watch football with on Sat./Sun., has these movies in his collection: A Beautiful Mind (too mopey), Chicago (a musical), LOTR (maybe, but it is fantasy and it beat out an actual sports movie), Million Dollar Baby (some sports fans probably got caught up in the hype and saw this...and I'm guessing they never watched it again--too much morality), and Crash (like watching two hours of instant replay challenges).

So enjoy it this morning fellas, it'll probably be another five years before we unwashed masses get another movie that we'd actually watch that wins. "Heavy lies the crown."

The Morning Walk-thru - I expect you to stay

Throw 'em the dark one...So it turns out the gyroball is actually just a spiral. Despite all the talk about hips and shoulders and double-spin mechanincs, all you're really doing is throwing a baseball like you'd throw a football. Feels a little anti-climatic but it's good news for Red Sox fans. It means that, after all the hullabaloo, this might be a pitch you'll actually see this season:




Further proof that February must simply be survived...we're still a week away from Black Snake Moan. I'm pretty excited for this film. It's got the South, the Blues and the Samuel L. Jackson in a role that allows him to do Samuel L. Jackson things (scream and look crazy).

But don't take my word for it, check out the critical mass:

"...Pulp Fiction with a Southern accent and a heart of gold..." --Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

"If blues is an exorcism (as Muddy Waters once said), Black Snake Moan is pretty much The Exorcist." --Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal

So The Exorcist meets Pulp Fiction with a bunch of words like chicken-fried, Southern gothic, gravy and pulpy to flesh out the reviews? I'm in.

A final dish to DJ...RIP

I Like Baseball

Looking for some good, independent MLB team previews? A blogger by the name of Morisato is doing a team per day over on the FOXSports blogs and they're a damn fine read. Well thought out, nicely organized and fairly honest in their appraisals of each team. (Perhaps too honest in terms of my Cubs return on their off-season investments.)

Show up Early and Win Some Crap

Back on July 12, 1979, while the inky footprint was still drying on my birth certificate, Steve Dahl was busy blowing up disco records and igniting a riot on the field at Comiskey Park. The brainchild of owner/promoter extraordinaire, Bill Veeck, and his son, Mike, Disco Demolition Night was the most infamous ballpark promotion ever, marked the only time Harry Caray was the “sober” one, and was also my day of birth.

So maybe I was born with a predisposition towards magnetic schedules, bobbleheads and soft 6-pack coolers. Or maybe I really need a Devil Rays fishing lure or a Blue Jays Mr. Potato Head to feel complete. But I know one thing: if it’s free, I’m buying.

With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror and the dog days just up the road a piece, it is time for the American sports fan to start charting their course for the summer. For many of us, that will include a trip or two to the ballpark and all the iconic accoutrements of hot dogs, beer and scorecards. But with your little slice of Americana, you will also get soaring ticket prices, “entrepreneurial” parking fees and, if you’re trying to weasel your way into Fenway, a generally sour transaction with a scalper. (While not the world’s oldest profession, it is assuredly the most aptly named.) All that gouging and that’s just the price of admission, you may have to sit through a 10-2 stinker or saddle up next to a fan whose supposed baseball knowledge is matched only by his girth. Going to a game, while always great in theory, is a pretty iffy proposition.

That’s why it’s important to make sure that you don’t go home empty-handed and that’s why I’m here, with my birthright in hand, to guide you. While the minors are the true home to the odd, inane and absurd promotions, the majors will occasionally strike gold with a truly unique freebie. A third of the MLB season is already gone, but there are still plenty of chances to show up early and win some crap. Allow me to introduce: The Best MLB Promotions of the Summer.

6/3 – Twins v. A’s – Mathletics Day

I was a bit of a mathlete back in my glory days, dominating the local MATHCOUNTS circuit, so this is right in my wheelhouse. Unfortunately, this promotion is open only to 1^st through 8^th grade students who complete a workbook in exchange for two free tickets to the game. Promoting math education is fine, but it should make for an interesting culture clash between the baby geniuses who memorized multiplication tables in 2^nd grade and the 13-year-old jocks who can’t believe they got into the game for simply reading a bar graph. This workbook, like Barry Zito, seems to be all over the place. Honestly, I expected something a bit more challenging from the think tank that spawned Moneyball, but still fun.

9/9 – A’s v. Devil Rays – Surprise Figurine

The first 15,000 (or likely all 15,000) fans in the door get a surprise player figurine set to be determined by fan votes. This seems like a great way to give a little back to the fans and get them involved, but I think it’s a brilliant ploy by the D-Rays front office to finally determine just who D-Rays fans actually enjoy watching. I’m laying 3-5 odds right now that the player who wins the vote is the cover boy for the media guide in 2007.

7/28 – Cardinals v. Cubs – Bud Floppy Hat Day

The ultimate in ballpark swag. I’ve seen more of these hats on WGN than I’ve seen Cubs victories. Old men, bikini-clad babes, it seems all of Chicago has one of these hats, but don’t be fooled by the imitators. If it doesn’t have the red Budweiser band, Harry wouldn’t approve. The hat seems to perfectly sum up the typical Wrigley Field experience: it was hot, I was drunk and the Cubs probably lost.

All Season Long – Anyone v. Marlins – Sit Wherever You Want Day…Really, No One Will Care

The most underrated promo on the list. According to ESPN.com, so far in 2006 the Marlins are averaging just under 12,000 fans per game, filling a league low 32% of their seats. While bad news for the Marlins, this is great news for baseball fans. Simply buy the cheapest ticket available and then move to any seat in the ballpark. Try a new one every inning, I doubt the Marlins even hire ushers at this point.

9/19 – Cardinals v. Cubs – TBD Back-to-School Item Day

The brains behind the Cubs have yet to determine exactly what back-to-school item they’ll be giving away, but rather than waste a ruler or pencil sharpener on some kids who will lose it before they’re home, I hope the front office can really use this opportunity to dump some overpriced talent. The first fan 12 or under in the door gets Juan Pierre and his .235 batting average. The second can have Kerry Wood. Put him on the shelf in your locker, he’s used to it. This will continue until all the deadweight on the Cubs roster has been removed. Arrive early for best selection.

8/4 – Red Sox v. Devil Rays – Cowbell Night

This could be a nightmare for the Red Sox as the first 10,000 fans wearing Devil Rays gear will receive a cowbell and the opportunity to explore the studio space…(no, I will not make an SNL/BOC reference in this paragraph)…endlessly annoy everyone involved. Over the past few years the Sox and Rays have kindly created a sort of beanball rivalry that adds a bit of drama to this normally mismatched series, and the sound of 10,000 cowbells should expedite the inevitable brawl. While it may make my ears ring for days, I think the D-Rays fans would be doing everyone a disservice if they didn’t perform the hell out of that cowbell…(it’s so hard)…remiss if they didn’t rattle all night long. That way, after David Ortiz hits his game-winning homer, it’ll be that much sweeter when he tosses his bat and seems to scream…COCK OF THE WALK! (Sorry, I lost it in the ninth.)

See, a trip to the ball park doesn't always have to feel like a mugging, sometimes the best things in life really are free. At least until the Indians bring back 10-cent beer night.

160 Down, 2 To Go

With Roy Hobbs in attendance, David "Cy" Wells delivered a big time performance tonight and the Red Sox got it done 5-3 against the Yankees evening the American League East. Strange how the tables have turned since 2003 as the Yankees put forth a postiviely Bostonian effort tonight, walking a run in and allowing another to score on a shaky throw from Giambi to Posada with the sacks stacked. Didn't these things only seem to happen to the Red Sox a few years ago? Nonetheless, the stage is set for a showdown tomorrow. The last time Wakefield faced Johnson, he pitched a gem, but come out on the wrong end of a 1-0 nailbiter. Here's hoping for strong headwind tomorrow.

Meanwhile in Cleveland, as predicted, Ozzie Guillen is doing everything in his power to ensure the Indians a victory tonight. Nursing a one run lead in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run at third, Oz first failed to go to his closer, then played the infield back with the tying run at third. Thank you South Siders! Here's hoping you lose the home field!