Tim Lincecum was the losing pitcher of Homer Bailey‘s no-hitter, but, for the first time since 1906, he was the one to author the next no-no, going the distance with 148 pitches and with 14 strikeouts. Is there any doubt he’s the MVP of Yesterday?
(Standings after jump)
Normally I’d wait until an off-topic Thursday to do this, but I’ve decided to do this while the film is still fresh in my memory.
So, let’s cut to the chase: as an example of “film as art”, Pacific Rim may not be a great movie. It might not even be a good one. It doesn’t have much of a driving moral lesson or deep characters, nor does it provoke thoughts about what it means to be human. You can see 90% of the twists coming and you can spot references or scenes that are much like those in other films. No major new ground is broken.
However, as far as “film as entertainment”, Pacific Rim is a great movie, a eat-your-popcorn-and-enjoy-the-show experience that is also something that is an increasingly rare thing in modern movies: something new and original, and not a sequel, prequel, remake, adaptation or based on a true story.
That isn’t to say that Pacific Rim is something completely new. No, far from it. This is a film that follows in the footsteps of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, paying tribute to previous traditions while putting a new spin on them. In the case of Pacific Rim, director Guillermo del Toro is paying tribute to Japanese Science Fiction in general and the kaiju (giant monsters- Godzilla, Mothra, etc.) and mecha (giant robots) genres in particular.
Now, with that introduction of my most basic thoughts and a quick primer on the film out of the way, go below the jump to see what I liked and what I didn’t about Pacific Rim.
Raul Ibanez continues to defy father time, going 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs and 2 HRs yesterday, which is good enough for me to name him MVP.
As always, standings after the jump:
Freddie Freeman shocked the world by beating out Yasiel Puig in the NL Final Vote, but then proved that perhaps it wasn’t a shock at all, going 3-4 with 4 RBIs and some nice defensive plays in Atlanta’s 6-5 win over the Reds. And that means that Freeman is the MVP of Yesterday!
Standings, as always, after the jump:
Pedro Alvarez is replacing the semi-injured Carlos Gonzalez in the HR Derby. His longest home run is this 456-foot dinger.
I’m a big fan of the Out of the Park baseball series, and in fact there will be a review of the newest version some time in the next few days. However, if you are interested in both playing it and also supporting the Baseball Continuum, it is now for sale through a link on the Continuum as part of Out of the Park Developments’ affiliate program.
Keep an eye open in the next few days for a full review of the game.
As an off-topic video, here’s a video I found that combines two of my favorite things: the hilarious movie Anchorman and the cult video game classic Earthbound:
Robinson Cano has basically had to strap the Yankees onto his shoulders at times over the past months, and last night he proved again why he is one of the finest players in the American League, going 3-4 with a HR and 3 RBIs against the Royals.
Standings, as always, after the jump:
Finishing up a previous story, here’s what the longest home run this season by Yoenis Cespedes looks like: it’s a 440-foot no-doubter.
Alex Rios may have had one of the best nights of the season last night. Heck, he might have had one of the best nights of all time!
Standings, as always, after the jump:
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