yes, you may

It seems that the Yankees have won the World Series, or at least that's what my mobile phone is telling me. I would have loved to see even one of Matsui's hits live on television today, but it just wasn't meant to be. Congratulations are in order, regardless. He might not be a Yankee next year but he can still play baseball so I wish him luck wherever he ends up.

Unless he goes to Boston of course. Fuck Boston.

I wanted to point out a couple of things I've posted over at Bitmob in the past week. First, I wrote a little something concerning how I feel about grinding in role playing games. The piece started off as a sprawling trip through my entire RPG-rich gaming history, but I cut most of that as it was irrelevant to the point I was trying to make. I saved it in a separate file though, as I think I can use it in the future.

In a more self-indulgent piece, I introduced myself to the Bitmob community in what is known as a "Meet the Mob" post. I decided to write mine using a third-person perspective, as if I was a commodity or product for sale. So far it hasn't gotten much attention but it made me laugh.

I've got a very busy week coming up, so I hope to take things easy this weekend. Expect fewer posts as my writing energy will be diverted elsewhere. I promise I'll put something up around my birthday though, if only to remind people of when that actually is (the 18th, thanks for asking).

Speaking of birthdays, I know someone else with a big one in the pipeline. I guess she deserves a mention on here as well...

11/6 UPDATE: The above-mentioned RPG piece got bumped up to the front page of Bitmob today, a rare treat. Then things got really nuts when another reader wrote an entire response article. How awesome is that?

Labels: baseball, Bitmob, writing, Yankees

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I so wish I was watching baseball right now. On the other side of the planet, Game Four of the World Series is taking place but as I write this, I'm stuck sitting in the smallest school in Osaka. I've never wanted a portable television more than I do right now.

Sure, there's the internet, and I have used that to check in with the game from time to time. Last I checked the score was tied at 4 in the eighth. Not bad news but not great news either. I've only got one more chance to see a game live this week and that will be Game 5 on Tuesday (Japan time). If the Yankees win today*, I could potentially see them clinch it tomorrow. Otherwise, no matter who wins it I'll be missing out as Games 6 and 7 will take place before the weekend starts. Sigh.

Beyond the Series itself, one bit of news leaped off the screen and jabbed me in the eye: Derek Jeter won an award. Specifically, the Hank Aaron Award which "recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each League." Apparently fans have a say in choosing the recipient, so I guess that's bound to screw up the system, but even Yankee fans should be scratching their heads at this news, perhaps even hanging their heads in embarrassment.

Take a look at that announcement again. There's a brief synopsis of the winners' achievements this year. For Albert Pujols (the NL winner) they note his league-leading on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and home run total. That's good! For Jeter, the strongest thing they can offer is passing Lou Gehrig in career hits. That's not bad but it's completely irrelevant.

Jeter led the league in absolutely nothing this year, other than playing games at shortstop for the New York Yankees which isn't really an offensive category. He had a lot of hits and a decent batting average, but his home runs and RBI totals were remarkably low. Indeed, looking at this list of past Hank Aaron Award winners, his low numbers are second only to...Derek Jeter in 2006.

As professional comedy writer/angry sports fan Ken Tremendous said this morning, Jeter is perhaps the fifth-best hitter on his own team to say nothing of the entire American League. Without even looking it up I'm going to guess that Joe Mauer of the Twins had an outstanding year at the plate (ok, I later looked it up) but since he suffers the dual handicap of (A) playing in Minnesota and (B) not being named Derek Jeter, I guess none of the fans that voted had ever heard of him.

I'm not trying to knock on Jeter as a player; I am a fan of the Yankees and of him personally. When he does good things, I get a giddy feeling that has no rational explanation. There's just something fun about watching him succeed despite having years of success under his belt. It's like rooting for an underdog who is actually comfortably sitting on top of the world.

But why the hell do baseball writers and fans insist on handing him trophy after trophy? I know awards are subjective and sometimes they are not earned but simply received because people feel like it was "his time" or some nonsense. It's like when Martin Scorsese won his first Best Director Oscar for The Departed when he should have won it at least twice before for far better films.

This is Derek Fucking Jeter we're talking about. He's fantastically wealthy and handsome and he plays on the most popular team in the world. He's rolling in acclaim and probably has entire closets full of first-place ribbons and the like. Can't we just stop fawning over him and actually award players who deserve such accolades? Can't we give Joe Mauer a headline in November instead of a guy who's already in the midst of winning a World Series for the fifth fucking time?

*Note: The Yankees did win before I got home and uploaded this post onto the internet, but that still doesn't explain why Derek Jeter won another award. Boo...but yay!

Labels: baseball, frustration, predicting the future, Yankees

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As of this writing, my father is already on his way back to New York. He only got here last Tuesday so it was a short visit but a very important one. This was, after all, his first chance to see Go in person.

We didn't "do" much in a travel sort of way. Dad stayed in a hotel in Osaka and rode the train out to our apartment each day to see us. On most days, he simply stayed here until he got tired and then returned to the hotel. He always came up in the afternoon so my inability to get off work wasn't an issue. He offered to take us to dinner but we instead ended up eating at home.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised but my dad really, really adored Go in a way that I never would have expected. He was delighted by Go's every move and found no frustration in Go's occasional fits of crying. He also had an incredible knack for putting a smile on Go's face and making him laugh so hard he got hiccups.

We all forget that our parents were there when we were just babies, making us smile and putting up with our tears. I had never seen my father with a baby before, so even though logic dictated that he had seen his share of tiny humans I assumed that he had forgotten what it was like as my sister and I are both full-grown adults now. Instead, he flourished and he and Go were very happy together.

Two things jump to my mind as cute moments from his visit. The first was on Friday night when we ordered pizza. My father and I both had root beer, specifically Dad's Root Beer. It's just a name, I know, but it carried an extra bit of meaning that night to be sharing such a drink with my father while we both looked at my son.

The second was our good fortune to be able to watch two Yankees games together over the weekend. He wasn't here for the start of either game (8 PM EST = 9AM JST) but he made in time for most of the late-inning drama. Having three generations of Feits sit on a couch and watch a baseball game had a magical quality to it, even though there's no way of knowing if Go will share our interest in the Yankees or the game of baseball for that matter.

We did meet up with Mako's parents over the weekend and get outside for a while. On Saturday we went to their home (a first for my dad) and went shopping at the nearby mall where we got some Cold Stone ice cream (another first for my dad). They've stepped up their game, by the way: now when the servers start singing, they flicker the lights on and off. Epileptics beware!

Sunday we took a surprisingly long drive two cities over to Mino-o (Minoh?) and spent a couple hours at Katsuoji. It's a very beautiful temple in the mountains that I'm sure will look even better in a couple weeks when the leaves change. Since my dad was leaving during the day today while I was at work, we had to have our goodbyes outside of a random train station in Minooooo which was a little awkward. At least we all know I'm coming to New York in December so it was more of a "see you later" than a "see you when I see you" goodbye.

I'll try to get some pics up for everyone to see. Until then, check out these two photos I snapped with my camera:

Labels: baseball, family, Japan, number one son, temple, Yankees

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Strictly speaking, today is Health and Sports Day but since the Japanese term matches the word they use for P.E. class (taiiku) I'll always think of "sports" rather than "health."

OK, I'm rambling a bit. My point is that we had a nice little three day weekend and while I didn't get up to much, I did appreciate the opportunity to sleep in - as much as any parent of a newborn can "sleep in." Having time off also meant I could watch the Yankees beat the Twins in the ALDS. Saturday's* game was a thriller, as extra-inning affairs always are, but today's game was even more fun. I couldn't believe Carl Pavano actually pitched a good game and I almost felt like he didn't deserve to lose. Then I remembered he was Carl Pavano and that made it a lot easier to see that big "L" next to his name.

With three days off I should have found time to write, but instead I used my free time to progress deeper in Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game is fantastic but so many people have written about how fantastic it is, I feel like I should probably write about what I don't like for the sake of variety. It might actually be more fun that way.

I'm hoping to get more writing done soon (especially concerning the tale of TGS which is long overdue) but I might not have much time ahead of me. My father is actually in Hong Kong right now and he's landing in Japan tomorrow for a week. He's come to see his grandson...and maybe his son too. So I anticipate a sudden drop in leisure time, even though seeing my father is a rare treat these days.

You can definitely expect something on Thursday though, if you catch my drift. I shouldn't say anything more, I'm not supposed to talk about it...

*Friday night in New York = Saturday morning in Japan. I live in the future, never forget that.

Labels: baseball, Batman, family, video games, Yankees

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Today turned out to be a very nice day. I went to work and was sent straight home because there's nothing for me to do over the summer. While I admit it was a bit of a nuisance commuting all the way there and back, I'll take the early release over an awkward day of waiting every time.

Mako was delighted to have me around all day. She says Go was also happy to see me, though at this point it's still impossible to tell whether he's happy or just making faces. Either way it was lovely to just be here and help out. Go doesn't sleep much when we put him down but he can fall asleep in our arms, so I served as a valuable distraction throughout the afternoon. Of course, when the two of them took a nap I got in some time on BioShock. This just in: that game is still awesome.

In sports news, I got to watch the Yankees win their way into first place. The team's problems are evident: their starting pitching continues to underperform and several of their stars seem to need a lot of rest these days because of their age, but this team is good. Good enough to get to the World Series? Probably not, but at this point they look like a solid Wild Card contender. Sometimes that's all it takes.

In national (as in this particular nation where I live) sports news, this year's Nagoya sumo tournament isn't going so well. Everyone I like lost today, which left me feeling sad. However, the day ended well when Hakuho, the boring Yokozuna who just beats everybody, lost as well. This means that the tournament is still wide open as we approach the final weekend. Go for it...um...anyone but Hakuho!

There was also the matter of a total eclipse this morning that was visible in Japan. Unfortunately, we weren't really in the target area and it was horribly overcast all morning, so we saw nothing in our skies. NHK did manage to give us a nice HD closeup of the phenomenon, at least once they were done having two dudes stand in a forest where it's always dark. Hey assholes, the point of an eclipse is that the sun disappears, so try hanging out someplace bright next time. I hear "next time" is twenty-six years away by the way, so there's time to find a cave or crevasse.

OK, we all know the big news today is my son. It's been a month since he was born. We didn't do anything special to commemorate the occasion, although I did snap the following picture. Enjoy!


Excuse me for not getting up. I've had a busy life.

Labels: baseball, family, Japan, number one son, sports, sumo, teaching, Yankees

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That was the strangest ending to a baseball game I've ever seen in my life, and that applies to the post-game coverage as much as the incredible on-field blooper!

I'm with my in-laws again, sitting next to Mako on their couch and wondering when our son will grace us all with his presence. Much to my delight, NHK decided to show us the first Yankees-Mets game of the year this morning. Their coverage of the Yankees has decreased substantially in recent years, partly because the Yankees don't have the same luster they once did but mostly because there are so many more Japanese players in the major leagues at this point. NHK doesn't need to count on the Yankees or the Mariners to deliver Japanese players to their viewers anymore, and that's more or less the only standard they use when selecting which games to air. The significance of the game is moot so long as there's one or two Japanese players involved. I don't think NHK has shown a single Dodgers game this year, just occasional highlights when their lone Japanese player takes the mound.

While the Mets only have one Japanese guy in the bullpen, the Yankees still have Hideki Matsui and he's still a big deal over here. It just so happens that yesterday/today/June 12th is his birthday and I honestly believe that was a factor in airing the game this morning. He hit a grand slam on his birthday last year, actually, so maybe they were hoping for another heroic home run? As it turned out he did hit another homer, this time a 3-run shot that gave the Yankees a 7-6 lead late in the game. It didn't keep though; the Mets later tied the score at 7 and took their own lead in the eighth off of Mariano Rivera.

It was 8-7 Mets in the bottom of the ninth when things got nuts. Jeter got a one-out hit and stole second as Damon struck out. With first base open, Teixeira received a semi-intentional walk to bring up A-Rod with two on and two out. He only managed a pop-up that barely left the infield, but despite having all the time in the world to get under it, Mets second baseman Luis Castillo dropped the ball. Jeter had been running the whole way and scored easily, but the only reason Teixeira scored was because Castillo picked up the ball and threw to second rather than home. The relay was late, the game was over. In a matter of seconds A-Rod went from goat to hero as players congratulated him for merely putting the ball into play.

In all the years I've watched baseball, I've seen plenty of easy pop-ups dropped and I've seen all kinds of walk-off wins resulting from hits, bunts, steals, errors, walks, even balks. But I've never seen a team win a game by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth on a single error. We've all heard of the infamous Bill Buckner gaffe that ended Game Six of the 1986 World Series, but even that play came when the Mets had already tied the game (a fact few people remember).

So after seeing the wildest finish to a ballgame I can recall, how did NHK handle the wrap-up? They had a fifteen second interview with Matsui that was nothing more than a happy birthday/congratulations fluffer, followed by a thirty second recap of his home run (featuring replays from multiple angles). They showed the final line score and panned around the emptying stadium for less than a minute, had a newsbreak and then rushed away to Colorado to show us a Mariners/Rockies game. The only replay of the stunning final play was second hand: while their camera lingered on the outfield I watched the stadium scoreboard show the monumental error one more time.

I know having Japanese players in the major leagues in a big deal, and I love birthdays as much as the next guy, but how on Earth can they justify summarizing the game with glowing replays of a three-run home run that wasn't even the deciding score? It's as if the outcome of these games is secondary to the individual performance of a familiar participant. Runs counter to the values you expect Japan to hold dear, doesn't it?

Labels: baseball, Japan, television, Yankees

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I just finished watching another incredible battle between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Long story short: it went to thirteen innings. Both teams had multiple opportunities to end the game, but somehow no one managed to score. Suddenly that prick Manny Ramirez hit a home run in the top of the inning for a 4-3 Sox lead. The Yankees were in a tight spot as they were virtually out of players; their defense was thrown into a tempest when Derek Jeter fucking crashed into the third row after catching the third out in the twelfth. His face was all busted up, but he seemed alert. Anyway, in the bottom of the thirteenth, Ruben Sierra hit a two-out single. He scored from first on a Miguel Cairo double, tying the game. The next batter would have been the pitcher so the Yankees send out their last bench player, John Flaherty. He hit a ground-rule double to left (past Manny) to win the game.

That's a sweep of the Sox, who are now 8.5 games back, and win number 50. Go Yanks!

Labels: baseball, Red Sox, Yankees

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No, not Morgan Webb (damn her sexy hide). I'm talking about Spider-Man and his new movie, Spider-Man 2. I don't give a link because they don't need any more advertising.

Short opinion? Good stuff. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. A little emotionally deeper than I expected, but all-around a solid picture. The critics adore it, but I wouldn't laud it as much as they do.

On an even happier note, I'd like to point out that the Yankees have beaten the Red Sox twice, erasing all the bullshit that came up when the Sox won a bunch of games in April. My lofty prediction probably won't pan out (unless the Yanks win the next 13 games in a row), but they are kicking ass and I love it.

Labels: baseball, movies, Red Sox, Spider-Man, Yankees

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Whoa, I made a banner! Photoshop rules!

I'm sure you're wondering why I've been updating so often. Is it my new commitment to put aside real-world tasks to maintain my blog? No, I've just had a lot more free time. One of the advantages (?) of having a shitty job where you don't feel like you're needed is, well, often you're not needed. So I had the luxury of watching an old baseball game on TV today, a game I actually attended and remember quite well.

Sunday, September 4th, 1993. Labor Day weekend. My life was in shambles. I had just flipped out and nearly flunked out of high school and I had been relegated to a "gifted handicapped" (my favorite oxymoron) program in another school district. To make matters that much more complicated, this was the start of my senior year, and that meant picking a college to go to. So I was leaving everyone I knew behind and I had no idea what was going to happen and I was about to make some huge decisions which I wasn't ready to make.

We (my mother, sister, and I) had purchased tickets for the game earlier that summer, but the weather that day was pretty ugly. Gray skies and drizzle made my mother question whether or not we should bother going. For those uninformed, the New York Yankees don't always win. In fact, at that time they were struggling just to keep pace with the defending World Champion Toronto Blue Jays. So Yankees' tickets were fairly inexpensive and easy to get, the complete opposite of what they are today. Thankfully, I insisted, as our seats were under the Loge level (third-base side, for those who care) and therefore we would not get wet. But there was a more important reason I wanted to go to the game: Jim Abbott was pitching that day.

To most of you the name Jim Abbott doesn't mean a thing. To me, he was a very big deal. I had become fascinated by Jim's story when he won 18 games with the Angels in 1991. I was thrilled when he came to Yankees in a trade and I remember clipping out a story on him from the New York Times on December 25, 1992. What was the big deal? Jim Abbott was born without a right hand yet he was a successful pitcher in the Major Leagues. How did he do it? He rested his glove on his stump, threw with his left hand and, continuing that motion, put his glove on his hand. I can't say exactly why I liked him so much. It's not like I'm missing a hand or anything. I guess I was just amazed that someone could overcome an obstacle like that.

The game ended up being a momentous one. The visiting Indians were a young team full of future All-Stars like Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, and current Yankee Kenny Lofton. They made 2 errors on one play in the third that allowed the Yankees to score three runs, a score that ended up being more than enough. Aside from an occasional walk, Abbott shut the Indians down. None of them made it to second base, thanks to two double plays and some really exciting catches, especially one play Wade Boggs in the seventh. By then the whole crowd realized that a no-hitter was in the works so the response was huge. Mom wanted to leave late in the game but I convinced her we should stay. I was only 12 but I knew how rare a no-hitter is. We compromised by heading to the other side of the stadium where we parked without leaving the seating area so we could still see all the action. I remember after the final out everyone cheered and I don't know why but I got really excited and I hugged my mom right away. The final score was 4-0.

I think the whole day made me feel a little bit better about myself. Both teams would improve in the following years and the Yankees would end up kicking some serious ass in the World Series. I would not fare as well, nearly failing out of school again and laying an egg at college, but things are starting to look up now.

Whew...quite a lot to write. Aren't you glad I don't do this everyday?

Labels: baseball, fuzzy memories, site news, sports, Yankees

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A few days ago, drunk on the Yankees' success, I opened my trap and predicted they'd win 60 games by the All-Star break. They promptly lost four of the next six games, including two of three at Dodger Stadium. Shit! This is why I never bet on sports.

Labels: baseball, sports, Yankees

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...that's me! I declared last Friday that I would update the site daily, like a diary. Sure enough, I posted two odd bits and then nothing for three days straight. Of course, I do have an excuse; my computer hasn't exactly been my own lately. There's been a lot of third-party usage that has left my blog stranded. But with no work today I've got all the time in the world to spout off about anything and everything:

Movies

I've seen a lot lately. After months of accolades and a billion dollars, I finally sat down and watched The Return of the King. Frankly, it wasn't that hot. Certainly no surprises whatsoever, except for the ludicrous "ghost army" that shows up. What the hell was that about?

Last night I saw Control Room, a documentary about the sometimes controversial Al-Jazeera news channel and their coverage of the war in Iraq. I thought it was quite interesting, although I must wonder if anyone at the channel produced or otherwise funded the film.

Baseball

Insult me if you want, but I am a New York Yankees fan. Sometimes I feel like writing an explanation as to why, since magazines and TV programs openly mock Yankee fans as bandwagon jumpers or arrogant jerks or sometimes just morons. However, since I know I am none of those I don't have to apologize. But I may someday, just for the hell of it.

Anyway, the Yankees got off to a slow start this year. The lowest point was losing three at home to the fucking Boston Red Sox. At that point, they were a dismal 8-11. Forecasters of doom were everywhere, and anyone with a forum to do so proclaimed the Yankees were through. "End of an Era," they said. Well I thought that was ridiculous. It was only April for Christ's sake, and my Dad always taught me that the standings are meaningless before Memorial Day. So I (quietly) predicted that the Yankees would rebound and improve to 41-21, a mark they reached this Monday in Arizona. Now that I have a forum, I'm prepared to face public humiliation as I predict the Yankees will be 60-26 at the All-Star break.

Well I'm exhausted. Later!

Labels: baseball, movies, predicting the future, sports, writing, Yankees

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