Monday, June 13, 2005
HEE-SEOP, CHOI OF FAN'S DESIRING!
There’s a terrific post from Jon Weisman over at Dodger Thoughts today regarding Hee-Seop Choi’s six home runs in the Twins series this past weekend (“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Choiday, Choiday, Choiday”).
Weisman’s coverage of the Dodgers is always fair, with guarded, fact-based optimism when called for, and equal amounts of frustration based in the same. But ever since Paul DePodesta’s trade that sent Paul Lo Duca and Guillermo Mota to Florida for Brad Penny and Choi, Weisman has stood firm in his belief, against many fans (as well as Jim Tracy at times too, it has seemed) that Choi, who was a quick and convenient whipping boy for the anti-DePodesta crowd when he seemingly underperformed during 62 at-bats last season, would come around if given half a chance to play regularly and gain wisdom under the tutelage of Dodger batting instructor Tim Wallach. Well, this past weekend, the Choi home-run machine just kept churning out the dingers (including a game-winner against former Dodger goat Terry Mulholland), surely providing sweet satisfaction for Weisman and many other Dodger fans, including, I’m sure, those who would prefer not to admit (at least while Choi remains hot) that they were ever naysayers. I particularly liked Jon’s observation regarding the Baseball News Show of Record and their enthusiastic coverage of Choi’s three-homer performance at Dodger Stadium Sunday afternoon:
“My congratulations to ESPN's Baseball Tonight for managing to sneak in its first mention of Choi's three-homer game - no tease, no anything preceding - 19 minutes into their highlight show. Only six minutes after some timely analysis of the fact there are three Molina brothers in the bigs.”
Oh, if Choi were only still a Marlin, or better yet, a Cub. Then baseball journalists could surely then allow themselves to be interested minus the conventional wisdom of disdain and cynicism, and without the fear of suffering embarrassment in front of their colleagues in the press box for doing so. May Choi continue to confound those tireless proponents of team chemistry whose gnashing of teeth last September over the brutal gutting of the Dodgers' heart and soul seemed to drown out all good reason or patience concerning the possibility that the Choi/Penny trade might result in something other than a flaming Dodger meltdown in 2005. We Dodger fans now wait with enthusiasm and anticipation, on this day off, for Choi's first at-bat Tuesday in Kansas City. And Izturis', and Perez's, and Drew's, and Kent's, for that matter. (And for a speedy recovery for Milton Bradley, favored Dodger around my house these days, as well.)
And at least I didn't miss Hee-Seop's heroics this time...
Another one last night, bringing it up to 7 in 4 games. He need 2 more in the next two games to tie Barroid Bond's record of 9 in 6 games.
ReplyDeleteAnother one last night, bringing it up to 7 in 4 games. He need 2 more in the next two games to tie Barroid Bond's record of 9 in 6 games.
ReplyDeleteAmazing. A friend who writes on a sports blog wrote me last night and expressed the same amazement, as well as relief that I didn't end up jinxing him! I missed the home run too, as I was still at work. So, now, does the jinx take effect if I keep talking about it, or if I shut up? Ain't superstition grand? And the Dodgers' campaign of fan awareness seems to have worked: Cesar Izturis has surged into the number-one spot in All-Star voting.
ReplyDeleteOT: the new Batman movie is damn good! I expected it to be ok, but wow! I wish the vilians were a little stronger (Ra's Al Ghul exits way too early) but Bale is the perfect Batman. Compared to the other pansy softhearted Batmen he is hardboiled and ass-kicking. This one is a must see (by the way, the previews for Duke of Hazzard... ugh.)
ReplyDeleteWhat, Jessica Simpson as... well, Jessica Simpson (but in denim shorts), plus yet another wink-wink supporting appearance by Burt Reynolds in a summer remake doesn't do it for you? Well, me either. (Only at that drive-in, Blaaagh!) But Batman Begins, yes, I am looking forward to it, and, as someone who only had mild positive feelings for the best of the previous Batman movies, I'm kind of surprised as to the degree of my anticipation. Thanks a lot for the advance word. I'll check back in after I've finally seen it, even if I don't manage to get to it until July!
ReplyDeleteI think Jessica Simpson is cute, even if I'd probably want to throttle her if I really spent time around her...as for "Batman Begins," I'm probably irrational in my high hopes for it. Something about the summer movie season and the possibility of a really memorable movie...maybe even one I'd want to go to more than once!
ReplyDeleteI had high hopes too, but this blew away my expectations. Bale nails Bruce Wayne, all of the other Batmen played Wayne somewhat halfheartedly and played Batman more seriously. However, this one is mostly about Wayne and you really see Bruce Wayne as you would imagine him in the comic book. Bale's Batman is a little weird, but definately cool. Though I wish I hadn't seen any previews because I was waiting for half of the jokes.
ReplyDeleteBenaiah and Blaaagh: Thanks for sticking with me this week. I've got plans for new posts which will probably show up tonight and over the weekend, but this week has just been a real tough one to get set down in front of my computer (for the fun stuff, anyway). Somehow I've managed to steer clear of the advertising for Batman Begins, outside of bus kiosks and the newspaper movie pages, so I'm not much familiar with images or lines. I seem to be fairly unpolluted as far as exposure to actual footage (I've seen my fair share of reviews though, and I'd say they've been about 70% positive). I continue to have high hopes for the movie largely because it seems to have more room for the Bruce Wayne character, and because it's not just a Schumacherian villain show--the evildoers I've heard about sound pleasing small-scale, at least compared to Jack Nicholson's Joker and all those that followed in the previous series. Thanks for the updates. Looks like I won't see it until next week, when my movie-centric nephew arrives in town for a week, providing me with the best excuse I've had in a while for dropping everything and heading out to the movies!
ReplyDeleteIf you like understated villians this is perfect for you. That said, Jack was awesome as the Joker and the only real problem is that everyone since then has been chewing the scenery to keep up. Devito, Carrey, Tommy Lee and Ahnold were awful (why is it that people like Batman Returns? the Penguin is treated awfully shabbily in the movie and despite people's love of Keaton he seems flat and phony in the movie).
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