A follow-up to past reverie, and the usual mini-rant

So, nearly four years ago I wrote this post, relating a story about drunken Japanese baseball fans dumping a statue of Col. Sanders into a river in Osaka. After 23 years, most of the statue has been recovered. I'd like to thank my recent favorite site, Deadspin, for the link. The Hanshin Tigers no longer have an excuse, just like the Detroit Tigers. Losing to an NL team that won 83 games, feh.

An open letter to Twins fans

I know I'm on hiatus, but I've only spent the hiatus following baseball, and I need to vent.

I'm gonna try to refrain from writing a screed about the White Sox-Twins "rivalry" here. I'll just say I'm mad, I've seen these games before, and I have no one to blame for it but my own freaking team. Also, if the Metrodome would collapse tomorrow under its own suck, I wouldn't mind. Bring on Target Field!

Here's a question for the Twins fans I know. Is there any explanation for fans at the Metrodome throwing back a home run ball hit by an opposing player, other than they stole it from the Cub fans' own stupid tradition? When Justin Morneau hit a game-winning home run two rows behind me at the Metrodome last year, I wanted to catch and keep that ball. When Ken Griffey's 611th home run was caught on Wednesday, the guy had no qualms about flinging that back on the field.

Do some people think that's a tradition throughout baseball? Honestly?

Thanks for tolerating the vindictive nature of my question.

P.S. Justin Morneau's HR was caught by a Sox fan. He pretended to throw it back. Good times.

Gets a bit Boston-heavy today

The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry may be odious to outside observers (myself included), but at least some folks are quite clever in their pranks. Take, for example, the attempt by a construction worker to jinx the new Stadium with a David Ortiz jersey buried in the concrete.

I also found the worker's first name, Gino, rather amusing, because it reminded me of a recent Celtics tradition.

Two things to say about the Mitchell Report

1. Clemens? No surprise.

2. There are a lot of backup/journeymen catchers here. And that really makes sense.

P.S. Speaking of catchers, I first saw Gregg Zaun with the Kane County Cougars in 1991. I heard he was Rick Dempsey's nephew. I thought that was interesting. That was 16 years ago.