Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Throwback Game, Part 1: Pre-Game
This is good--you don't have to relive any of the pathetic 8th inning in tonight's 9-3 loss. Not till the next post, anyway.
As I approached Boston from the west, I saw blue skies with what looked like a mountain behind the city. Then as I walked toward Fenway from my car, I saw some strange clouds hovering near the Pru and the Hancock. When I got to the parking lot across from the park, I saw this:
Fenway's light towers are toward the right, above.
A few seconds later, the 'cock was all gone, and the top of the Pru was slowly fading away. It was as if there was a great fire in the city of Boston. Other than that, it was a really nice day...at that point.
When I got inside, the Pru and 'cock were back, but you can see the death cloud blocking some buildings behind the scoreboards. They're going with the off-white background for the pre-game scoreboard screens--this could be the official Interleague Play way, but I'm guessing it's just for the Cubs series.
Looking down at Luis Tiant on Yawkey Way.
After the Cubs took BP (in their 2011 warmups), I went to the top of the bleachers to check in on my cloud of doom. Right at that moment, a Cubs fan also went to look over the back wall, and I can assure you, he made the "maybe it IS the end of the world..." joke.
Turning around in that spot, you can see the sky is normal looking back toward the west.
On my way toward the Sox dugout for close-ups, I took this Canvas Alley shot that I've probably taken before.
Aceves on the field, my first look at the throwbacks (without a jacket over them).
There's Varitek and Salt, and, oh no, are those.....
numbers??? Yes. Terrible. Do the throwbacks or don't. Don't have a major difference or it's not worth it.
Tek's 33 up close and shirtal.
Tito in the dugout.
Some old, though not necessarily 1918, logos.
I don't think I would have known this was Babe Ruth's daughter had they not shown her on the NESN telecast last night, so I'm glad they did.
Saltalamacchia returns.
Cubs in their throwbacks in front of the Monster.
The starting pitchers.
Back up the grandstand behind first to check in with my buddy, Cloudy O'Rourke. Was it headed our way? I later found out.
Now over on the third base side, the Cubs had crappy numbers too.
Fukudome.
More Cub throwback action.
And more. Their unis were obviously more interesting than ours. I see both have the Majest1c logo too. Although it kinda looks "throwback," too.
Jokey baby bears.
The Cubs wore the 1918 socks, whereas the Red Sox just wore plain red ones, when the old ones called for white with a red stripe.
My first look at Papi in the TBs.
What's missing from this picture? The Prudential tower.
There's some of it, in the weird mist-cloud-fog.
Kevin Youkilis, throwbacky.
The pen in their 'bax.
Everybody wanted that low-angle shot! And after I got home, I looked through the Joy of Sox game thread, and saw that Allan linked to one of those pictures.
The Red Sox in the dugout.
And taking the field.
Part 2 coming Sunday afternoon: the game, the weird weather, and a few more close-ups of Sox players. Could be in first place right now, dammit....
[Part 2 here]
As I approached Boston from the west, I saw blue skies with what looked like a mountain behind the city. Then as I walked toward Fenway from my car, I saw some strange clouds hovering near the Pru and the Hancock. When I got to the parking lot across from the park, I saw this:
Fenway's light towers are toward the right, above.
A few seconds later, the 'cock was all gone, and the top of the Pru was slowly fading away. It was as if there was a great fire in the city of Boston. Other than that, it was a really nice day...at that point.
When I got inside, the Pru and 'cock were back, but you can see the death cloud blocking some buildings behind the scoreboards. They're going with the off-white background for the pre-game scoreboard screens--this could be the official Interleague Play way, but I'm guessing it's just for the Cubs series.
Looking down at Luis Tiant on Yawkey Way.
After the Cubs took BP (in their 2011 warmups), I went to the top of the bleachers to check in on my cloud of doom. Right at that moment, a Cubs fan also went to look over the back wall, and I can assure you, he made the "maybe it IS the end of the world..." joke. 
Turning around in that spot, you can see the sky is normal looking back toward the west.
On my way toward the Sox dugout for close-ups, I took this Canvas Alley shot that I've probably taken before.
Aceves on the field, my first look at the throwbacks (without a jacket over them).
There's Varitek and Salt, and, oh no, are those.....
numbers??? Yes. Terrible. Do the throwbacks or don't. Don't have a major difference or it's not worth it.
Tek's 33 up close and shirtal.
Tito in the dugout.
Some old, though not necessarily 1918, logos.
I don't think I would have known this was Babe Ruth's daughter had they not shown her on the NESN telecast last night, so I'm glad they did.
Saltalamacchia returns.
Cubs in their throwbacks in front of the Monster.
The starting pitchers.
Back up the grandstand behind first to check in with my buddy, Cloudy O'Rourke. Was it headed our way? I later found out.
Now over on the third base side, the Cubs had crappy numbers too.
Fukudome.
More Cub throwback action.
And more. Their unis were obviously more interesting than ours. I see both have the Majest1c logo too. Although it kinda looks "throwback," too.
Jokey baby bears.
The Cubs wore the 1918 socks, whereas the Red Sox just wore plain red ones, when the old ones called for white with a red stripe.
My first look at Papi in the TBs.
What's missing from this picture? The Prudential tower.
There's some of it, in the weird mist-cloud-fog.
Kevin Youkilis, throwbacky.
The pen in their 'bax.
Everybody wanted that low-angle shot! And after I got home, I looked through the Joy of Sox game thread, and saw that Allan linked to one of those pictures.
The Red Sox in the dugout.
And taking the field.Part 2 coming Sunday afternoon: the game, the weird weather, and a few more close-ups of Sox players. Could be in first place right now, dammit....
[Part 2 here]
Comments:
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Hi Jere. That cloud looked a little man-eating. I was spared seeing the 8th inning because Fox didn't televise the game here in CT. I WTIC'd it through 7 and fell asleep. Mercy.
They were required to wear numbers on the throwbacks by the current MLB rulebook. Rule 1.11(a)(1):
"All players on a team shall wear uniforms identical in color, trim and style,
and all players uniforms shall include minimal six-inch numbers on their
backs."
"All players on a team shall wear uniforms identical in color, trim and style,
and all players uniforms shall include minimal six-inch numbers on their
backs."
Doesn't the rulebook also say they're supposed to [insert one of the many rules they consistently break] too?
What rules get consistently broken?
Anyway, I was expecting the throwbacks to have numbers; that's always been the case when teams play pre-1928 throwback games. But what did bug me about the throwbacks were the caps. Not only did they not wear the unstructured-crown caps of the era, but the ones they wore had especially high crowns, like players wore in the 1970's and 1980's. That looked especially dumb.
And I was pretty pissed down here in Fairfield County that Fox forced me to watch the "Who Cares?" Subway Series instead of Sox/Cubs, but given that train-wreck 8th inning, it was probably for the best.
Anyway, I was expecting the throwbacks to have numbers; that's always been the case when teams play pre-1928 throwback games. But what did bug me about the throwbacks were the caps. Not only did they not wear the unstructured-crown caps of the era, but the ones they wore had especially high crowns, like players wore in the 1970's and 1980's. That looked especially dumb.
And I was pretty pissed down here in Fairfield County that Fox forced me to watch the "Who Cares?" Subway Series instead of Sox/Cubs, but given that train-wreck 8th inning, it was probably for the best.
You know, like those rules about not cavorting with the enemy and stuff.
What oddly works is how they wore baggy unis then which is how they wear 'em now. Whereas when they do the 70s/80s throwbacks, they look crazy all bagged-out.
What oddly works is how they wore baggy unis then which is how they wear 'em now. Whereas when they do the 70s/80s throwbacks, they look crazy all bagged-out.
I thought you were going to come back with the phantom tag at 2b on double plays, or the general failure of most umps to call the actual rulebook strike zone, but fraternization works too I guess. But while that rule does get broken all the time, I'd argue that it's harder to enforce than uniform numbers. I assume that the throwback uniform designs have to be approved in advance by the league office, and there's no way they'd sneak unis without numbers by Bob Watson or Joe Torre or whatever empty suit is filling that role these days.
Agree about the baggy unis...I hate when they have '70's throwback games with pajama pants.
Agree about the baggy unis...I hate when they have '70's throwback games with pajama pants.
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