Video
Tout Wars AL
On this page there are links to the live blog of the AL draft, and the spreadsheet with draft results. And here’s video of Lawr Michaels throwing out the first player, which turned out to be a passing of the toss to Mike Siano.
Is your auctioneer a joke?
Evan Gallahou is a standup comic looking for gigs as a fantasy baseball auctioneer. I’m not kidding!
The following clip starts with a baseball joke, but it was the bit about the weather broadcaster at the end that made me think Evan might be a really good auctioneer.
Major League Baseballs outdated, misleading offset camera angle.
By Greg Hanlon – Slate Magazine
I’ve written about this in the past. What this story adds, however, is a better view of what happens when the camera is right behind the pitcher. In order to see the hitter the camera has to be higher. This, it turns out, is just fine for inside-outside calls, but fails miserably to yield better calls on the high and low stuff. The examples are illuminating, in any case.
Streaming games on the iPod Touch (and iPhone, too)
That’s an ad, because this is an endorsement. It is an ad for Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) LATEST MODEL
I own an iPod Touch 2nd generation model, and yesterday new operating software came out. I downloaded it right away. There was a $10 charge for adding the software to your old machine, which irks some but is fine by me if I get more, and this upgrade promised some cool stuff. I won’t get into that other than to say that the voice recorder alone was worth the fee.
And, last night, I stopped by mlb.com and there was an announcement that the new MLB AT Bat software would allow the streaming of games to the iPhone and the iPod Touch. I upgraded that software, which cost $10 in March, and offers up to the minute Scores, Box Scores, Game Casts and video highlight, and now offers two games a day in live stream.
I didn’t get to try the streaming until today, but it was terrific. The wifi streaming to the phone was superior to the wired ethernet streaming to my desktop machine. The picture isn’t huge but it is viewable, doesn’t go all pixilated or freeze all too regularly. In fact, it acted TV.
The app is offering two games a day, and of course we’d like them all. You can’t get games in your local market, which obviously limits the appeal for homers. But for a fantasy player who wants to check out his out of town guys, the computer package offers more games, the iPod/iPhone app lets you watch them in more places.
MLB At Bat also offers streaming radio for both teams for all games, which also comes in handy a lot more often than you’d think.
I didn’t buy an iPhone because I really couldn’t justify the cost of the data plan, since I work from my home. I travel, but then I usually have my laptop. Plus, I already have a phone. But the iPod Touch does nearly everything that the iPhone does, if you ignore the phone and camera parts, with no recurring charges. I can pick up my mail when I’m out of the house without carrying my computer, and it is a source of all sorts of information via YouTube, Google Earth, and the regular web browser, plus widgets for the weather and stocks and… well, I hope you get the idea. It’s like the internet, only in a sliver of metal and glass that feel great in the hand.
I was happy with the gadget in December, but the addition of streaming major league games with excellent (if small) video, is stepping forward into the future.
A utopia, by the way.
Oh Ladies!
::Girls Guide to Fantasy Baseball
Jordan Zucker is the host/proprietor/star of Girls Guide to Fantasy Football, a charming site with a weekly (during football season) fantasy football vlog roundup. She is also on the TV show, Scrubs. Now she’s recruiting women for fantasy baseball leagues. So, if you qualify, or you know someone who qualifies, now’s the time.
Hitler is a Cubs Fan
Winter Meetings Preview at hirejimessian.com
You would think there could be too many Downfall mashups, but this isn’t the one that crosses the line. Very well written, and you all know about the acting.
What the Fans Do at Shea
Watch this:
FANTASYLAND documentary film
We’re a fan of Sam Walker’s Fantasyland, about his year trying to beat the so-called experts in Tout Wars American League experts league, and so we can’t help but be a fan of the attempt of some filmmakers to recreate the magic in Fantasyland: the Documentary.
The link here is to a posting asking for those who might be interested in being the guy to walk in Sam’s shoes this year to respond. I can think of countless not-yet experts who can do the job. Whether or not that’s going to make a good movie is tough to say, but good luck out there.
Video: James Wolcott on Norman Mailer, 1991
Entertainment & Culture: vanityfair.com
When Norman Mailer died recently I was surprised by the number of friends who told me that Harlot’s Ghost is the book of Mailer’s to read. I’m a huge fan, have read most of the major books and some of the less major, but lost interest in his later books.
About Harlot’s Ghost I remember bad reviews, but with such recommendations I’ll have to find a copy.
In the meantime, here is a short film directed by the excellent Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho) for a PBS TV show that is really a review of Harlot’s Ghost by the excellent Jim Wolcott. It makes me want to wade into those 1,400 page a little less, but is well worth watching for more than the simple review.