Disgusting, Loathsome Press Release of the Day

cubs announce bleacher naming rights

Thursday, March 30, 2006

The Chicago Cubs announced today that the newly renovated Wrigley Field bleachers will be officially named the “Bud Light Bleachers.” Anheuser-Busch has been a long-time sponsor of Chicago Cubs baseball on WGN-TV and the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

“The Chicago Cubs are one of the most storied teams in baseball, with a tremendously loyal fan base and one of the greatest venues in all of sports. We’re excited to offer this new feature – the Bud Light Bleachers – to Cubs fans,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president, Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch Inc.

“The bleachers at Wrigley Field represent the ultimate fan experience in Major League Baseball. We are proud to have the prestigious Bud Light brand join us in this partnership as we enhance our fans’ experience,” said John F. McDonough, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Broadcasting, Chicago Cubs.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The Day I Was Born

Yesterday, March 28, was my 43rd birthday. My mother reminded me today that the night I was born, she had a fever dream in which she roamed the streets surrounded by LeSeur green peas wearing French gendarme uniforms.

No wonder I turned out this way!

Love you, Mom.

Who?!?

More "I didn't know they were listening" audio from the between-innings patter on baseball spring-training games. (If you watch games on mlb.com, you can often hear the announcers between innings, especially on cable broadcasts, and not get the commercials.)

This little gem came from today's Sportsnet New York telecast of the Mets-Marlins game. SNY announcers Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez were bemoaning the poor pitching of Jose Lima and Yusaku Iriki with the Mets down 8-2 after three frames.

Cohen: "Eegh."
Hernandez: "Why do we even bring pitchers like that to camp? It's a waste of time. A WASTE OF TIME."
Cohen: "I agree with you."
Hernandez: "They couldn't get Molly Putz out."
Cohen: "WHO??"
Hernandez: "Molly Putz!"

Delilah's Playlist, 3/26/2006

Hi, folks.

Thank you to the many of you who came out last night and made "Chewy Chewy Yummy Yummy Sugar Sugar" such a successful event! We'll do it again, I believe, and soon.

Here's what I played, for the benefit of those who couldn't make it and for those who did and didn't catch the titles.

Thanks again.

Love,
Stu


Stu Set 1:
Bee Gees--Spicks and Specks
Five Man Electrical Band--Absolutely Right
Partridge Family--Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque
American Breed--Step Out of Your Mind
Beach Boys--Do It Again
D.C. Playboys--You Were All I Needed
Kinks--Everybody's Gonna Be Happy (Happy birthday, Suz)
Ohio Express-Yummy Yummy Yummy
Jackson 5--I Want You Back
Shaun Cassidy--That's Rock & Roll
Turtles--Elenore
Monkees--Last Train to Clarksville
Gallery--Nice to Be With You
Every Mother's Son--Come on Down to My Boat
Hues Corporation--Rock the Boat
Dora Hall--Satisfaction
Honey Cone--Want Ads
Beatles--Thank You Girl
Sheila--Sheila
Tommy Roe--Dizzy
Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus--Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)
Nick Lowe--Rollers Show
Bay City Rollers--Saturday Night
Bread--Let Your Love Go
Monkees--Valleri
1910 Fruitgum Company--Simon Says
New Colony Six--Treat Her Groovy
Reunion--Life is a Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)
Archies--Sugar, Sugar
Hayley Mills--Let's Get Together
Bobby Sherman--Easy Come, Easy Go

(Eric Colin then delivered a blistering set, heavy on deep cuts and rarities, making room for acts as diverse as Todd Rundgren, Cargo, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, the Hollies, and Giorgio.)

Stu set 2:
Hollies--Tell Me to My Face
Amen Corner--High in the Sky
Jigsaw--Sky High
Ohio Express--Down at Lulu's
First Class--Beach Baby
Beatles--Baby You're a Rich Man
Andy Kim--Rock Me Gently
Monkees--A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
10 cc--Rubber Bullets
Supremes--In and Out of Love
Big Star--When My Baby's Beside Me (Thanks, Mark!)
Annette--First Name Initial
Partridge Family--I Woke Up in Love This Morning
Raspberries--Go All the Way
Cryan Shames--I Wanna Meet You
Churchill Administration--I Just Met You
Shaun Cassidy--Hey Deanie

(There followed another fine set from Eric, including Argent, more Todd R., and Cinnamon, among others.)

Stu Set 3:
Shadows of Knight--Shake
Pilot--Magic
Peanut Butter Conspiracy--It's a Happening Thing
Chase--Get it On
Blondie--X Offender
Herman's Hermits--A Must to Avoid
Fifth Dimension--Carpet Man
Jackson 5--Dancing Machine
Polly Brown--Up in a Puff of Smoke
Tommy James & the Shondells--Gingerbread Man
Monkees--You & I
Bee Gees--Whisper Whisper
ABBA--Waterloo
Edison Lighthouse--Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes
Accents--New Girl
Partridge Family--I Think I Love You

New Fantasy Baseball Column

Hey, folks. I'm a columnist now for Fantasy Baseball Index. If you're a fantasy player, or baseball fan, check it out. (The page's link to me is top center.)

This past winter, I edited the FBI Baseball issue, available now on your newsstands. Check it out if you're a baseball fan.

Thanks,
Stu

Family Pride!!

Just wanted to point you all toward my brother Tom Shea's blog , because he's a terrific writer. He does make liberal use of them curse words, so keep the kids away. But his recent posts on the Olympics, TV, local theater, and Wendy Wasserstein are excellent.

Spring Training Hijinks

Kirby Puckett, great Minnesota Twins outfielder from the 1980s, suffered a stroke today. I can only hope for the best for Kirby, one of the players I always truly enjoyed watching. His post-career problems are well documented, but being human doesn't make your ballplaying any less wonderful.

Perhaps to lighten the mood in the broadcast booth during today's Twins/Red Sox broadcast back to Minnesota, engineers in the production truck were playing vintage Harry Caray clips between innings, during commercials, in an attempt to crack up Twins TV announcers Dick Bremer and Paul Molitor.

The engineers succeeded, after several tries ("Aah, popped it up. That wouldn't be a home run in a phone booth," "Nomar...Garc...garcia...garcipare...garcia, parra") by playing Harry's memorable 1983 "Well, we see Marla Collins without shorts for the first time!" call.

I still miss Harry after all these years...