Chicago Cubs: Lovable … Innovators?

the kid presenting him the trophy was wearing a jersey with “LiNdstrom” (not “Lidstrom”) on the back. Gary Bettman probably had nothing to do with this, but let’s blame it on him anyway, because it’s easier that way

That’s funny, I saw that too, and the first thing I said was “I blame Bettman for that.” My buddy asked me why, and I told him that everything is Bettman’s fault…

Can’t believe that Lidstrom’s jersey misspelling did not get caught before that kid went on stage. Major F-up, on someone’s part. Probably Bettman’s.

Also from last night’s NHL Awards ceremony:

They had young hockey players present the award nominees while wearing their own junior team jerseys. One of the Bantam-AAA team, the Timberwolves, is using the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves logo as their crest.

We usually see kids teams borrowing from the pro teams in their own sport, but it’s rare to see borrowing a name & logo from a different sport.

OT: But Important
My apologies for the length

This was written by Jayson Stark on espn.com.

– End of an era: Monday is a sad day in the history of this sport. It’s the final Hall of Fame exhibition game at Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field, the needless end of an awesome 68-year tradition.

Five members of Congress sent letters of complaint to Bud Selig protesting this decision. Selig told them, in a letter back, that the “logistics” of working this game into the schedule had simply become too “complicated.” But what that really means is that players weren’t interested in sacrificing an off day anymore for the greater good.

Selig promised that baseball will promote the Hall of Fame in other ways, including bringing most of the sport’s living Hall of Famers to this year’s All Star Game. Hey, great. We’re all for it. But as someone who has been to a half-dozen Hall of Fame games, I understand what it means — or meant.

The Hall of Fame game meant more to Cooperstown, and to the Hall, than Bud Selig will ever realize.

It supported the museum and the exalted village of Cooperstown. Just as important, it gave players a chance they otherwise wouldn’t get — to see Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame Museum with their own eyes. At a time when players’ appreciation of history has shrunk to embarrassing levels, baseball is now guaranteeing that 99 percent of its players will never set foot in baseball’s most hallowed space. And that’s the biggest tragedy of all.

There will be a “moment” of silence Monday, during the entire bottom half of the third inning. But after Monday, the silence at Doubleday Field will last forever — another tribute to the selfishness of baseball’s leaders and players. If you’d like to add your voice to the protest, visit savethefamegame.com.

A couple of other fun things from the Cubs WGN broadcast yesterday:

* The game began in black and white to honor the 60th anniversary of the first WGN Cubs broadcast

* When Jim Edmonds hit his homerun the WGN camera crew wild panned in and out in homage to the video of Ernie Banks’ 500th homer (can’t find video)

* Also the call of the home run by Len Kaspar ended with “Hey! Hey!” the famed call of HOF broadcaster Jack Brickhouse

The Lynchburg Hillcats, a Pirates A-ball affiliate will be honoring the early 1980’s Lynchburg Mets this weekend including throwback uniforms for the occasion. Details here: link

Someone mentioned in yesterday’s comments that the Braves should wear the striped stirrups with their current uniform. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think those stirrups are still part of the official Braves uniform. I know most players don’t use the stripes when they wear the knee-high pants, but I think Andruw Jones wore the stripes a couple years ago for several games (and this was with the current uniform, not part of a throwback promotion). I think it’s similar to the stripes the Cardinals have. Some players, like Anthony Reyes, wear them, while others do not. It’s too bad, b/c the those Braves stirrups rock.

Add the Twins to your list of teams with different colors for the letters and numbers on the back of their uniforms…

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Road:
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Yes, it’s sad to see the HOF game come to a close, but I think its time has come. Like most exhibitions, you see the shell of a team actually compete and in recent years, it would be rare to see a pitcher on the active roster appear in the game. Minor leaguers would be called up to play most of the game, so that much of what you were seeing were just “guys” in MLB uniforms.

My wife is from the Cooperstown area, so we get there often and the game does mean a lot to the community, however. It is a big day, especially for Cooperstown High School, as they raise tons of money for their senior trip, etc. (BTW, Cooperstown HS shuns PC and still goes by “Redskins.”)

I went to the 1982 game, Mets vs. White Sox, and the thing I remember most about that game was that it was shortened by one of the biggest monsoons I’ve ever seen. And while people started to mill down to the field, while the players were still there, a kid grabbed a Mets helmet from the on-deck circle and started to make off with it. He looked around, saw that I was the only one who saw him in the act, and started to get nervous. I just gave him a nod, and he was on his way…and today that Mets helmet proably still sits in his home…or somewhere on e-bay.

[quote comment=”275354″]Add the Twins to your list of teams with different colors for the letters and numbers on the back of their uniforms…

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Point taken, but the original list was restricted to the Senior Circuit.

re: end of the Hall of Fame game.

If you’re looking for someone to say that today’s players and today’s Players Associations don’t give all appearances that their number one goal is to do everything possible to preserve the preferential, prima donna status of today’s players…it won’t be me.

They may be among the most self-serving people and organizations on the planet. Granted, the organizations are supposed to be, by definition, self-serving. But their defintion of that seems to come down solely to “pay incredible amonts of money for services and expect the bare minimum of commitment to the game/business/fans who allowed us to make all that money.”

Let’s all pause for a moment and contemplate Latrell Spreewell and his classic response when saying a $7 million offer wasn’t enough: “I got a family to feed.”

Or Andy MacPhail, who, when negotiating with Kirby Puckett who’d said he had to take care of his family, asked, rightly so, “Yes, but for how many generations?”

If what I’m saying isn’t so, why does Mike Ditka’s organization to seek benefits for older NFL vets even need to exist?

Why do teams give coached jerseys when they hire them? It’s stupid.

I can see baseball, because they actually wear them on the field.