Over at Hall of Very Good, another “Wisdom and Links“, looking at things to look for in the next few weeks as baseball approaches.
Plus links, of course.
Over at “Hall of Very Good”: The lead-up to Spring Training
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Football Continuum: My Super Bowl XLIX Prediction
Okay, so, this is a tough Super Bowl to pick. Both teams are extremely good, and both also have momentum, or at least as much momentum as a team can have after a off week.
That said, I think the Seahawks will win.
Why?
Defense. Yes, it is now a QB’s league, but it feels to me like the defensive advantage that the Seahawks hold over the Patriots is larger than the advantage that the Patriots hold over the Seahawks on the offensive side. Russell Wilson is no Tom Brady, but with Marshawn Lynch helping him out he won’t have to be. I expect a late touchdown from “Beast Mode” to put the Seahawks ahead and for the “Legion of Boom” to stop Tom Brady from pulling off a last minute miracle drive.
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 23
I am 7-3 on the postseason, 7-4 if you count my incorrect pick in the College Football Championship game.
For Super Bowl Weekend: “Famous For Something Else” Football Players
Here are the previous “Famous For Something Else” installments about players who dabbled in baseball but who are more famous for playing (or coaching) football:
Herman Wedemeyer (also an actor)
Jim Thorpe (also, perhaps most famously, an Olympian)
There are, of course, still others who have played both baseball and football, and they will be covered in future “Famous For Something Else” installments!
First References in “The Sporting News”: The Caribbean
One of the great perks of SABR membership is access online to The Sporting News’ archives. While it now is dedicated to all sports, for a good chunk of it’s earlier history it was almost entirely focused on baseball. This allows us to see how players, ideas, teams and even countries first got the attention of the baseball press. So, similar to my article on the first references to Japanese baseball, here’s a look at the first references to baseball in the Caribbean in the Sporting News archives…. just in time for the Caribbean World Series in February!
(go below the jump for the article)
Coming later this week…
Aside
Coming later this week (as early as tomorrow): A historical article. Keep an eye open.
Over at “Hall of Very Good”: Wisdom and Links salutes Ernie Banks
Now over at Hall of Very Good: The latest “Wisdom and Links” salutes Ernie Banks and also provides other interesting links from the past week or so.
Looking at the new stuff that will be in OOTP ’16
It’s coming again. Out Of The Park Baseball. Are you hyped? Because I’m hyped. Oh, sure, they didn’t pick any of my suggestions for their tagline, but the one they did pick is pretty good. And, what’s more, OOTP 2016 is coming and it already is looking like a big leap over even the improvements that OOTP 2015 brought.
Because, for the first time in quite awhile (if ever), it’ll be officially licensed. Yes, Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball are officially licensing the latest OOTP games, due out in March. That means that instead of having to import logos and stadiums, etc, it’ll all come pre-packaged (although, of course, we’ll still be able to make our own if we want). What’s more, it definitely gives OOTP more clout and officialness- in fact, it’s mobile version will be renamed “MLB Manager”. That will expand it’s reach to more people, bringing OOTP head Markus Heinsohn one step closer to world domination.
Some other things I’m excited for:
- More leagues! They are adding the Australian League and Independent Leagues in both America and Japan! I love the global scope of OOTP and glad to see it’s default settings continue to grow.
- Team Owners are more realistic: apparently now instead of simple “win now” or “win later” things, the owners will have both long-term and short-term goals and from the look of what the press release says they might not always make sense (for example, signing a star to a long contract, which as we’ve seen in the real world can be a total disaster).
- Better finance and coaching systems. They are, of course, completely separate from each other, but I’m combing them because I’m looking forward to seeing more about them. The finance system apparently will be much bigger and involve season ticket sales, etc, while the personnel and coaches will now have personalities and the like. I’m interested.
- Changes to team strategies, playoff news coverage and the 3D modelling. I’m especially looking forward to the last of these- OOTP 15’s modelling was a good first step but definitely had room for improvement. Fingers crossed it delivers! That fact that they’ve confirmed they will have the 30 MLB stadiums in from the start makes me very optimistic.
- Little things like rainout rescheduling, different currencies (Yen, Pesos, Euros, etc.), improved HoF and All-Star Voting, etc. etc.
I, of course, will write more about the latest OOTP as more info becomes available.
Note: While I received no compensation for writing this preview, in the past I have received complimentary copies of “Out of The Park Baseball” from it’s developers.
Presented without further comment, Ernie Banks’ 500th HR
BIZARRE BASEBALL CULTURE: Strange Sports Stories #1… “TO BEAT THE DEVIL!”
In Bizarre Baseball Culture, I take a look at some of the more unusual places where baseball has reared it’s head in pop culture and fiction.
Last time, I introduced you to “Strange Sports Stories”, the on-and-off anthology of DC Comics’ Science-Fiction and/or Fantasy tales involving sports. That past installment was from the 1960s Brave and The Bold run of SSS, but this time, we’re looking at the Strange Sports Stories stand-alone series, from 1973. It only lasted six issues, but it’s first issue prominently featured baseball (amazingly, it wasn’t in any of the other five issues, and as far as I can tell no sport was featured more than once) in a tale called “To Beat The Devil!”
Written by Frank Robbins (who was primarily an artist, most notable for having helped create the character of the Man-Bat for DC Comics), penciled by Curt Swan (who is best known for his work on Superman comics) and inked by Dick Giordano (best known for his partnership with artist Neal Adams on Batman and the socially-conscious Green Lantern/Green Arrow book), this tale, as the cover (done by Nick Cardy, who according to Wikipedia is best known for his work with Aquaman and the Teen Titans) indicates, is about a face-off between a baseball team and the devil himself. The Devil, of course, is no stranger to baseball, primarily known for his involvement in baseball-themed musicals, but this is the first appearance by Satan in Bizarre Baseball Culture. Well, unless you count this weird guy from the second AAA Baseball/Marvel comic. I don’t.
Anyway, go below the jump for more:
The Continuucast is now on iTunes!
Aside
The Continuucast is now on iTunes! So all of you iTunes users can now get it using that.
The Baseball Continuum 
