Results tagged ‘ Christmas ’
Before I go….
The days leading up to Christmas aren’t all that different than the days leading up to the start of the baseball season. There’s a lot of anticipation, a lot of expectation but no matter whether you approach it calmly or with your hair on fire, you don’t have a whole lot of control over it. It’s best just to sit back and enjoy the ride.
And speaking of rides, I’m going to be heading out of here in a couple hours for a little vacation which means Jeff is going to be manning RSBS all alone. Not that this is anything out of the ordinary. Now, I’m sure everyone will be kind to him but just remember, Santa travels fast enough to go backwards in time so if you aren’t nice, there’s a good chance a fat man in a red suit will be arriving at your door and punching you in the face for something you did in the future.
Either that or Uncle John just got schnockered on eggnog again and still thinks you’re responsible for driving his Winnebago into that abandoned quarry three Christmases ago. Sheesh, Uncle John. Lighten up already. It’s not like you didn’t have insurance. And how was I supposed to know cousin Ned was napping in the back?
Anywho, thanks for sticking with us this year. We have a couple nice year-end surprises waiting for you so make sure you check back after you’re done stuffing yourself with Christmas goose. And although it goes without saying, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
-A
Credit:
-Photo courtesy of Skull Swap
RSBS Presents: MLB’s Favorite Christmas Movies
As the holiday spirit settles in here at RSBS, we’re starting to get a little excited. In fact, there’s a really good chance that this is the year we get that Red Ryder BB gun we’ve been asking for since 1983. However, as we sit here staring at the gifts under the tree, we thought we could present you with a gift of our own. The interns did a bunch of work coming up with the list and now we just want you to enjoy it. So, enjoy!
Scott Boras
The Santa Clause
Only a hardcore DB like Boras could appreciate the fine print of a contract that makes you take over Santa’s duties if you should happen to be instrumental in his demise. Hell, he probably wrote the contract. On the bright side, at least Scotty hasn’t taken over as Santa…..yet.
The Kansas City Royals
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A ragtag band of kids who are all castoffs from one place or another gather around a depressingly bare Christmas tree. If that doesn’t describe KC’s fortunes, I don’t know what does. And just wait until Greinke blows town.
Derek Jeter
It’s A Wonderful Life
So, how many times have you not made the playoffs in your career? And how many World Series rings have you won? Yeah, I’m pretty sure you could give George Bailey a run for it in the Wonderful Life department.
Bud Selig
Tie: Scrooged and A Christmas Carol
However, he turns it off before the main characters have a change of heart. No room for sentimentality when there are small children and their parents who could be paying more for tickets and concessions. How much more? Get on that, Cratchett. And will you stop blubbering about your goddamn gimpy kid?
Barry Bonds
Miracle on 34th Street
Sometimes when Barry is falling asleep at night, he imagines the postal service delivering thousands of letters to him in a courtroom and the judge declaring him the real home run king. Wake up, Barry. You’re still just a lousy cheat.
So, there you have it. If you ever wondered what a professional baseball player does at this time of the year, you have your answer. As for us, we’ll be splitting a bowl of popcorn and hoping that oblong shaped box doesn’t somehow put our eye out.
-A
Holidays, Hollidays and Halladays
Here is an actual excerpt from an email I sent a business associate today at work:
Dear (So and So Business Associate),I hope this finds you well rested after the long Thanksgiving holliday. Your question really needs little thought to answer, for the best single volume on Chinese symbolism is most definitely
Hidden Meanings…
Did you catch that?
No, not my inane nice guy approach (which I admit, reeks of staleness). I mean did you catch my spelling error?
Holiday. Not holliday. Silly Jeff.
If this can happen to me, it can happen to you. Dear readers, if you allow your baseball nerdiness to infect your everyday life then please at least take the extra careful step of proofreading your work-related correspondences.
And that goes for everything work related. The baseball gods blessed me with a 24/7 baseball persona, but they weren’t careful enough to provide me with a reality censor. Some things slip by and the result can be as catastrophic as postseason errors by the Tigers pitching staff (eat it, Mr. Krause; it’s never going to go away).
Other mistakes I’ve made at work include but are not limited to the following:
- Screaming out Holy F***! when DeWayne Wise made “The Catch”
- Telling the mailman he reminded me of a young, early 60s era Dal Maxvill to which he replied: “That’s the coffee with the Columbian guy on the front, right?” Wrong.
- Asking a client to hold (while I sat in an online queue to score Cards/Cubs tickets)
- Turning red in the face while explaining to a colleague that a batter cannot advance to first base on a dropped third strike if there’s a guy on first! Jesus Christ I know what I’m f****** talkin’ about here, man!
The above are all avoidable, but when we find ourselves in the trenches of the holiday season and the two most sought free agents are named Holliday and Halladay, someone is bound to find himself in a world of blunder.
And that’s what we want to help you avoid.
So, y’know, don’t mess up. Like I did.
Go ahead, hate me ‘cuz I fell victim to the occasional spelling error, just don’t hate me ‘cuz I’m right.
Peace,
Jeff
*PS. Drop by A Bite Off the Big Apple and say “Hi” to Jess; his currently featured NY Note was sent in by a witty, strapping, genius of a baseball fan.
Is It Christmas Yet?
Preparations for the holiday season begin (for me) in June, when my epic 180 consecutive days of beer consumption starts to strengthen my tolerance for… eh… other people. Crowds. Yule tide blah blah blah.
But it never really feels like the holidays until my annual MLB.com catalogue arrives in the mail. Just look at how happy it makes me!
Of course, there are a few things that seem a bit odd, a bit off, inside its pristine pages, so before I place it next to the toilet for future browsing, I would like to point out some of the highlights.
One of this year’s most interesting offerings is this official team patch by the Baltimore Orioles (p. 24):
Wait, did I say Baltimore Orioles? I think I meant Baltimore Ravens. But it says “Orioles”. I don’t know. Forget it. I ain’t buyin’ it anyway.
Next, we focus on one of those must-have holiday treats! Indeed, this thing will come in handy to shoo away all those annoying neighbor kids who keep lighting dog doo-doo on fire and ringing your doorbell. Beware, the official MLB licensed “Forest Face” (p. 21):
Yeah, that thing is pretty scary. Naturally, the same effect can be achieved by simply hanging a Detroit Tigers cap in your bushes. But whatevs…
Dear readers, not every publication is perfect. Typos, misnomers, glitches… these things are pretty common when producing such a large body of work. Like this picture, which is just all wrong (p. 5):
When was the last time you saw a Cubs fan with such a big smile on his face?
Exactly.
And just in case baby Jesus, Mom, Dad, Barack, Santa and the Easter Bunny are reading this, let me point out my own personal holy grail of a gift idea (p. 22):
Boom.
I’m sure we can find a stocking big enough for this to fit. Or just give me a couple hundred bucks and I’ll buy the damn thing myself!
So that should be enough to get you in the holiday spirit, y’all! Don’t hate me for that! And don’t hate me ‘cuz I bear the curse of always being right.
Peace,
Jeff
A Special Holiday Thank You
I wanted to offer everyone a special RSBS Christmas gift but it appears our government already beat me to it. Detroit may not get a Super Bowl ring or a World Series Championship this year but we got the next best thing and it’s all thanks to you!
Seriously, though, Happy Holidays from both me and Jeff. See you in the New Year!
-A
(Thanks to The Daily Dish for the graphic.)
Happy Friggin’ Holidays from RSBS!
As Al and I go to visit our respective families for the holidays we leave you with a festive film portraying our individual caricatures: I am the handsome reindeer; Mr. Krause is the blue squirrel.
May your holidays be warm, may your tidings be bright,
May Pujols win the Triple Crown or take me out to dinner, just for one night.
Whoops.
Too much eggnog.
Don’t hate me ‘cuz I’m right.
Peace,
Jeffy
Red State Blue State
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