Bud Selig has named John Thorn the Official Baseball Historian for Major League Baseball. Thorn's books are too numerous to list but include the Total Baseball series Baseball: Our Game (1995), The Game for All America (1990), and a forthcoming book called Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game which looks like something I would like. The one of this book that in my collection is, The National Pastime (1987). Thorn also served as a consultant for Ken Burns' documentary, Baseball. Thorn succeeds Jerome Holtzman who passed away in July of 2008. Holtzman has been called, "Baseball's Hemingway."
Here are some of my favorite John Thorn Quotes:
Baseball presents a living heritage, a game poised between the powerful undertow of seasons past and the hope of next day, next week, next year.
Better than anything else in our culture, it enables fathers and sons to speak on a level playing field while building up from within a personal history of shared experience - a group history - that may be tapped into at will in years to come.
Donning a glove for a backyard toss, or watching a ball game, or just reflecting upon our baseball days, we are players again, forever young.
For many of us, sport has provided the continuity in our lives, the alternative family to the one we left behind. It gives us something to talk about, to preen about, to care about.
One of the first lessons he or she learns is that in baseball anything, absolutely anything, can happen. Just two days ago as I write this, something happened that had never happened in baseball before.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Bench to be immortalized at GABP
We immortalize the greats and Johnny Bench will become one of the Reds legends to receive a statue at Great American Ball Park. The statue will be unveiled in front of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum on September 17. Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson currently have statues on Crosley Terrace near the main gate to the park, so Bench's will sit somewhat alone. If you visit the Reds HOF and Museum, inside the main entrance you'll find life-sized statues of Harry and George Wright, founding members of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings (they were really small guys but probably typical for the time). Upstairs in the museum you'll see more statuary: managers Sparky Anderson and Fred Hutchinson, and the "Great Eight" of Bench, Rose, Perez, Morgan, Foster, Concepcion, Gereronimo, and Griffey.
The most unique thing about the Bench statue is, it will feature him in the motion of throwing out a would-be base stealer. Bench was, of course, known for his cannon arm and it's certainly appropriate to portray him that way, it's just that I've never seen anything like this. Most catchers are portrayed crouched behind the plate in position to receive (i.e. Lombardi at GABP and Campanella in Cooperstown) or those known more for their offense have a bat in hand (i.e. Josh Gibson at Nationals Park and PNC Park). This is such a great idea by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya to reproduce Johnny Bench in this way, it recognizes all the tools that a great catcher must possess and one of the reasons for why Bench is the greatest of all time.
Links:
The most unique thing about the Bench statue is, it will feature him in the motion of throwing out a would-be base stealer. Bench was, of course, known for his cannon arm and it's certainly appropriate to portray him that way, it's just that I've never seen anything like this. Most catchers are portrayed crouched behind the plate in position to receive (i.e. Lombardi at GABP and Campanella in Cooperstown) or those known more for their offense have a bat in hand (i.e. Josh Gibson at Nationals Park and PNC Park). This is such a great idea by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya to reproduce Johnny Bench in this way, it recognizes all the tools that a great catcher must possess and one of the reasons for why Bench is the greatest of all time.
Links:
- Toolz of Ignorance predicts that the Reds will finish 2nd in the NL Central behind the Brew-Crew but will get the Wild Card spot.
- Royals Review, the best SB Nation blog out there for pure entertainment value, has a bit of a caption contest going on.
- Seventh Inning Stache has a nice little piece (with links) about Blue Collar Baseball's favorite manager, Jim Leyland. Including a link to this video from Bugs & Cranks of a Leyland impersonator.
- At Home Plate comes up with some odds of which team will sign Albert Pujols and stricter off-field rules for players.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Baseball In Spring Revives the Senses
One of the beautiful things about baseball is how it can be experience through all the senses. Maybe that is why spring is such a great time for baseball fans. Our senses are reawakened, revived, and are used in their full capacities this time of year. We aren't completely numb during the months of December and January but we're close to it. It's not until times like now, February and March, when all of our senses work together to baseball. Why I am writing about this today? Well, today is the day that real-life baseball appeared back on my XM radio. The Giants are playing the Diamondbacks as my fingers tap the keys and Jon Miller's voice is streaming throughout the house. Tomorrow, five games will be broadcast over the XM ether, a virtual baseball orgy. Those regular BCB readers (if there are any left after my hiatus) know that I love baseball on the radio. It's really it best way to experience baseball without actually being there. Allow me to describe what I mean by experiencing baseball through our senses.
The Sounds of Baseball: The crack of the bat; the muted punch of a ball into a catcher's mitt; the abrasive scraping sounds of a slide into home or cleats going from clay to concrete. The grunt of a tired pticher releasing a put-out fastball; and that of a slugger after missing it. The sighs of 40,000 people when the threat of a rally turns into just that, a threat. The hopefull gasp as the ball climbs and the cheers and it goes over the plane of the wall. An old-time organ at pressbox level. Vin Scully reminds us that Brad Ausmus went to Dartmouth; Marty exclaiming, "This one belongs to the Reds!"
The Smells of Baseball: The scent of a new leather ball or an old mitt. The stained wool hat that you've been wearing superstitiously all season. The smell of grass and a freshly watered infield; and who could forget the stadium hot dogs. The charcoal smoke of tailgaters in the Kauffman Stadium parking lot.
The Tastes of Baseball: The salty taste of a pitcher's fingertips before he steps to the mound; the gritty texture of dirt after stealing third. The hot dogs with mustard; the watery beer; and the ice-cold Coke. The earthy taste of yellow-painted cedar as the score-keeping fan clinches his teeth with a runner in scoring position with two outs in the ninth.
The Touch of Baseball: A ball rubbed with Delaware River mud; the raised seams. The feel of a wooden bat, without batting gloves; the vibrations that flow up your forearms when you don't exactly connect with the sweet spot. The young fan with clammy hands hoping his favorite player knocks in that run; the hands of a rookie in his first major league at bat. The burn of the scratches on your outstretched hands when you get caught stealing and the fact that those don't burn so badly when you're called safe. The heat on the back of your neck just before the sun goes down; the sunburn. The condensation on that plastic souvenir cup; you'll take it home and drink out of it all season long, your eyes will cross as you stare at the schedule on it while you sip; darn it if the dishwasher didn't wipe out April.
The Sights of Baseball: The way your heart flutters when you step into a major league stadium and see the playing field, even at age 30. Seeing the runner break for second in the corner of your eye just before the pitcher releases the ball; trying to watch both movements at once. The way a baseball field looks so different from the upper deck, lower deck, and field level. The beautiful ballet that occurs when a base-clearing double goes to the wall. The shadows on the field as the sun marches from afternoon to dusk.
The Sixth Sense of Baseball - Imagination: The reasons why baseball on the radio is so valuable to me is, it's the only media and appeals to baseball's sixth sense, imagination. Writer, Roger Angell, writes of this notion in his essay "The Interior Stadium." Baseball is a mythic, imagined game that makes real-life occurrences into legends, Babe Ruth's called shot for example. As a fan listens to baseball on the radio he or she not only engages to the game through their sense of hearing but recreates the other sensory experiences in their interior stadium. This is lost in the television broadcast which gives us a tunnel vision view and the impression that the game is merely a duel between pitcher and batter. The fullness of the game, the ballet of movements and combination of textures, tastes and smells, can only be experienced vicariously through radio. Welcome back to baseball on the radio!
Links:
The Sounds of Baseball: The crack of the bat; the muted punch of a ball into a catcher's mitt; the abrasive scraping sounds of a slide into home or cleats going from clay to concrete. The grunt of a tired pticher releasing a put-out fastball; and that of a slugger after missing it. The sighs of 40,000 people when the threat of a rally turns into just that, a threat. The hopefull gasp as the ball climbs and the cheers and it goes over the plane of the wall. An old-time organ at pressbox level. Vin Scully reminds us that Brad Ausmus went to Dartmouth; Marty exclaiming, "This one belongs to the Reds!"
The Smells of Baseball: The scent of a new leather ball or an old mitt. The stained wool hat that you've been wearing superstitiously all season. The smell of grass and a freshly watered infield; and who could forget the stadium hot dogs. The charcoal smoke of tailgaters in the Kauffman Stadium parking lot.
The Tastes of Baseball: The salty taste of a pitcher's fingertips before he steps to the mound; the gritty texture of dirt after stealing third. The hot dogs with mustard; the watery beer; and the ice-cold Coke. The earthy taste of yellow-painted cedar as the score-keeping fan clinches his teeth with a runner in scoring position with two outs in the ninth.
The Touch of Baseball: A ball rubbed with Delaware River mud; the raised seams. The feel of a wooden bat, without batting gloves; the vibrations that flow up your forearms when you don't exactly connect with the sweet spot. The young fan with clammy hands hoping his favorite player knocks in that run; the hands of a rookie in his first major league at bat. The burn of the scratches on your outstretched hands when you get caught stealing and the fact that those don't burn so badly when you're called safe. The heat on the back of your neck just before the sun goes down; the sunburn. The condensation on that plastic souvenir cup; you'll take it home and drink out of it all season long, your eyes will cross as you stare at the schedule on it while you sip; darn it if the dishwasher didn't wipe out April.
The Sights of Baseball: The way your heart flutters when you step into a major league stadium and see the playing field, even at age 30. Seeing the runner break for second in the corner of your eye just before the pitcher releases the ball; trying to watch both movements at once. The way a baseball field looks so different from the upper deck, lower deck, and field level. The beautiful ballet that occurs when a base-clearing double goes to the wall. The shadows on the field as the sun marches from afternoon to dusk.
The Sixth Sense of Baseball - Imagination: The reasons why baseball on the radio is so valuable to me is, it's the only media and appeals to baseball's sixth sense, imagination. Writer, Roger Angell, writes of this notion in his essay "The Interior Stadium." Baseball is a mythic, imagined game that makes real-life occurrences into legends, Babe Ruth's called shot for example. As a fan listens to baseball on the radio he or she not only engages to the game through their sense of hearing but recreates the other sensory experiences in their interior stadium. This is lost in the television broadcast which gives us a tunnel vision view and the impression that the game is merely a duel between pitcher and batter. The fullness of the game, the ballet of movements and combination of textures, tastes and smells, can only be experienced vicariously through radio. Welcome back to baseball on the radio!
Links:
- A link to Thomas Boswell's list of 99 reasons why baseball is so much better than football.
- A new blog on my favorite's list, Toolz of Ignorance.
- A spring training story from Diamond Hoggers about witnessing the end of Rob Dibble.
- Not quite the crack of the bat but "Ping! Part 2" from Church of Baseball.
- In case you haven't heard, Bud Selig has hired Joe Torre as MLB executive VP of baseball operations.
- Just a mention for those of you that haven't read Morgan Ensberg's Baseball IQ.
- And for those of you that like baseball literature, poetry, etc., think about subscribing to Spitball magazine.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Dusty Announces Volquez as Opening Day Starter
Dusty Baker announced Edinson Volquez as the 2011 Opening Day starter for the Redlegs. Not only does it indicate that Spring Training is underway but also that decisions (although possibly too early) are being made to move forward into the glorious time of year that we all know as baseball season. To be honest, I'm surprised with the decision. I just assumed that it was a forgone conclusion that Bronson Arroyo would take the mound in the Queen City on March 31. Of course Arroyo is no "ace" but he has been the Reds most consistent pitcher and he's cemented in Cincy for a few more years with a new contract (but we all know that he'd rather be in Boston).
What's nice about this is, in ways, it symbolizes a new era with the Reds. Maybe not as much as Jay Bruce's homer to clinch the 2010 NL Central division title for the Reds but still it's the first time in a long time that the Reds will begin a season with everyone expecting them to win. Aaron Harang started five straight openers in Cincinnati, all of which lead to losing seasons (as did many other guys before him). Bronson is not the future of the Reds put a solid, #3-ish guy to build a rotation around. Volquez has the stuff to be an ace, so does Cueto, heck, so does Wood.
Dusty's explanation for starting Volquez is to mix up the hard and soft tossers; Bronson will start game 2. Followed by Cueto? ...Wood? ...Homer? ... Leake? ... who knows, but it's a nice situation to have.
I am, however, a traditionalist and think that Dusty should have waited a little longer. Let Volquez "earn it." Chris Sabo's Googles is with me on this one. I am also annoyed that we have a PED user (also mentioned by CSG) representing the Reds on a very important day. One more thing, the hair and the hat and combination thereof... I can let Bronson get away with the hair because he looks stylish is a 1993 sort of way but where is Marge Schott when you need her!?
Here are the thoughts of Red Hot Mama, Blog Red Machine, and Redleg Nation on this on Dusty's decision 2011.
What's nice about this is, in ways, it symbolizes a new era with the Reds. Maybe not as much as Jay Bruce's homer to clinch the 2010 NL Central division title for the Reds but still it's the first time in a long time that the Reds will begin a season with everyone expecting them to win. Aaron Harang started five straight openers in Cincinnati, all of which lead to losing seasons (as did many other guys before him). Bronson is not the future of the Reds put a solid, #3-ish guy to build a rotation around. Volquez has the stuff to be an ace, so does Cueto, heck, so does Wood.
Dusty's explanation for starting Volquez is to mix up the hard and soft tossers; Bronson will start game 2. Followed by Cueto? ...Wood? ...Homer? ... Leake? ... who knows, but it's a nice situation to have.
I am, however, a traditionalist and think that Dusty should have waited a little longer. Let Volquez "earn it." Chris Sabo's Googles is with me on this one. I am also annoyed that we have a PED user (also mentioned by CSG) representing the Reds on a very important day. One more thing, the hair and the hat and combination thereof... I can let Bronson get away with the hair because he looks stylish is a 1993 sort of way but where is Marge Schott when you need her!?
Here are the thoughts of Red Hot Mama, Blog Red Machine, and Redleg Nation on this on Dusty's decision 2011.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Royals fans could be the best in baseball
One of the reasons that I love baseball so much is for its myths, its stories. "America's game" is filled with all sorts of tales and some are taller than others: the story of Abner Doubleday creating the game of baseball, Babe Ruth's "called shot" in the 1932 World Series. We still create myths today and the catalysts for creating these stories are still largely the same: influential individuals, coverage on national media outlets, and entertainment. Some of these myths are based in truth but are yarned out over and over so often that they tend to produce a tapestry that obstructs other myths from being created. In other words, the prevailing myth continues to prevail regardless of truth.
Earlier today I was reading this post over at one of my favorite blogs, Royals Review. The post itself discussed the intrastate St. Louis/Kansas City rivalry and mentions the notion that Cardinals fans are "the best fans in baseball." I agree that Cardinals fans are good fans (I've attended 25-30 games in St. Louis in my life), I'm just not sure that they're the "best." I guess I need to set the ground rules for what constitutes "best" for me. For one, being "the best fans in baseball" means pure dedication to team regardless of success. You are never embarrassed to wear that cap out in public and you're going to attend games no matter the time of year or where your team is in the standings. Secondly, to be the best you must have knowledge of the players on the field and your team's history.
Cards fans do have these qualities but I'd argue that it's a lot easier for them because of the success factor. It's easy to be a Cardinals fan just the same way that it's easy to be a Yankees fan. The knowledge is something that is learned and must be worked on, but Cardinals fan have lived in such a cloud of success and history for so long that they can almost simply absorb it through osmosis. The Cardinals have national media backing their myth of being "the best fans in baseball," we hear it every time the Redbirds play on ESPN or FOX. The Cardinals also have the benefit of individuals with St. Louis ties in the national media like Joe Buck and Bob Costas along with a historic national sports magazine, The Sporting News, based in their city.
The Kansas City Royals don't have these national media outlets or the myth of having the best fan base in the major leagues but I'd put Royals rooters right up at the top of my list of best fans. I lived in Kansas for about four years and attended probably 30-35 games over the course of that time. I was so impressed with the fan base (not what I saw on the field) that I adopted the Royals as my American League team. Royals fans, just like Cardinals fans, come from a large geographic area - Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas - some of which overlap with "Cardinal Country." I've been to Royals games late in the season, the team is well out the race, it's getting cold, and there is a 12-2 score in favor of the opposition and 18,000-20,000 Royals fans continue to cheer. Teenage K.C. fans continue to sport their blue caps even though they can't remember the success of their team. Sit next to a Royals fan at Kauffman Stadium and you're more likely than not to get a good baseball conversation. I can't say this about all fan bases, even the one that's most near and dear to my heart, the Reds.
Cincinnati Reds fans, just as Cardinals and Royals fans, come from miles around - Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia - but in my experiences of going to games at Great American Ball Park (I can't remember much of my experiences at Riverfront) there are a lot of people that aren't there to watch the game. Sure you're going to get fans like that anywhere, and even a few in St. Louis and Kansas City, but from my own personal experience, there are less of those types in St.L. and K.C. than in Cincy. I've sat next to people at GABP that talked the entire game about matters that had nothing to do with baseball, people who've spent more time watching the screen on their phone than the area between the pitcher's mound and home plate, those that really had no clue about the current Reds players. Last season, a 35-ish year old lady behind me asked the person next to her, "Why isn't Sean Casey* playing tonight?" the reply was, "I don't know, he must be hurt or something." I'd like to think that Reds fans are the "best fans in baseball" but I can't, Royals fans have us beat.
On a sour note, the Royals look to be on the bottom of MLB payroll projections for 2011.
*Here's come recent BCB-worthy news on Sean Casey.
Earlier today I was reading this post over at one of my favorite blogs, Royals Review. The post itself discussed the intrastate St. Louis/Kansas City rivalry and mentions the notion that Cardinals fans are "the best fans in baseball." I agree that Cardinals fans are good fans (I've attended 25-30 games in St. Louis in my life), I'm just not sure that they're the "best." I guess I need to set the ground rules for what constitutes "best" for me. For one, being "the best fans in baseball" means pure dedication to team regardless of success. You are never embarrassed to wear that cap out in public and you're going to attend games no matter the time of year or where your team is in the standings. Secondly, to be the best you must have knowledge of the players on the field and your team's history.
Cards fans do have these qualities but I'd argue that it's a lot easier for them because of the success factor. It's easy to be a Cardinals fan just the same way that it's easy to be a Yankees fan. The knowledge is something that is learned and must be worked on, but Cardinals fan have lived in such a cloud of success and history for so long that they can almost simply absorb it through osmosis. The Cardinals have national media backing their myth of being "the best fans in baseball," we hear it every time the Redbirds play on ESPN or FOX. The Cardinals also have the benefit of individuals with St. Louis ties in the national media like Joe Buck and Bob Costas along with a historic national sports magazine, The Sporting News, based in their city.
The Kansas City Royals don't have these national media outlets or the myth of having the best fan base in the major leagues but I'd put Royals rooters right up at the top of my list of best fans. I lived in Kansas for about four years and attended probably 30-35 games over the course of that time. I was so impressed with the fan base (not what I saw on the field) that I adopted the Royals as my American League team. Royals fans, just like Cardinals fans, come from a large geographic area - Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas - some of which overlap with "Cardinal Country." I've been to Royals games late in the season, the team is well out the race, it's getting cold, and there is a 12-2 score in favor of the opposition and 18,000-20,000 Royals fans continue to cheer. Teenage K.C. fans continue to sport their blue caps even though they can't remember the success of their team. Sit next to a Royals fan at Kauffman Stadium and you're more likely than not to get a good baseball conversation. I can't say this about all fan bases, even the one that's most near and dear to my heart, the Reds.
Cincinnati Reds fans, just as Cardinals and Royals fans, come from miles around - Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia - but in my experiences of going to games at Great American Ball Park (I can't remember much of my experiences at Riverfront) there are a lot of people that aren't there to watch the game. Sure you're going to get fans like that anywhere, and even a few in St. Louis and Kansas City, but from my own personal experience, there are less of those types in St.L. and K.C. than in Cincy. I've sat next to people at GABP that talked the entire game about matters that had nothing to do with baseball, people who've spent more time watching the screen on their phone than the area between the pitcher's mound and home plate, those that really had no clue about the current Reds players. Last season, a 35-ish year old lady behind me asked the person next to her, "Why isn't Sean Casey* playing tonight?" the reply was, "I don't know, he must be hurt or something." I'd like to think that Reds fans are the "best fans in baseball" but I can't, Royals fans have us beat.
On a sour note, the Royals look to be on the bottom of MLB payroll projections for 2011.
*Here's come recent BCB-worthy news on Sean Casey.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Man Matched Hustle with Humility
President Obama honored Stan "The Man" Musial with the country's highest civilian honor today, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Stan, also nicknamed "Baseball's Perfect Knight," is in more ways than one, a legend. The things that he did on the field such as his unfathomable consistency (1815 career hits at home, 1815 career hits away) and humility (he was the first player to make $100,000 and possibly the last to ask for a pay cut when he didn't perform up to his own expectations) have mythic qualities.
You can watch the video of the ceremony here and here. My favorite quote is from President Obama who said, "Stan matched his hustle with humility."
Of course the St. Louis Post Dispatch has some good pieces on Stan today. This one asks St. Louis sports writers the question, "What is one lession that you think today's pro athletes could learn from the life and career of Stan Musial?" Bernie Miklasz writes, "America gives back to Musial with Medal" and "Musial and politics, a history."
If you like player biographies, I read James Giglio's, Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man a few years ago and it is very good.
Here is Joe Posnanski's SI piece on "The Man" from this past August. I usually only save a 2 or 3 issues of Sports Illustrated a year. I saved the issues with Posnanski's featured article on Musial and the issue with Joey Votto on the cover in 2010.
A well-known story about Musial is his instiable love of interacting with fans; this includes signing autographs and Stan is still doing it. If you see him out in public, I'm sure he'll give you one for free but you can buy a Stan Musial autograph from StanTheMan Inc. My wife bought me an autographed baseball one year for Christmas and it remains at the center of my collection. Funny story about that... the autograph was supposed to be a surprise but I was home alone one day and the home phone rang, the caller ID read, "Stan Musial." I thought to myself, "What the heck!?" I picked up that phone with a slightly sweaty palm to find that it was Stan's office (Stan The Man Inc.) calling to tell me that my baseball was being shipped.
You can watch the video of the ceremony here and here. My favorite quote is from President Obama who said, "Stan matched his hustle with humility."
Of course the St. Louis Post Dispatch has some good pieces on Stan today. This one asks St. Louis sports writers the question, "What is one lession that you think today's pro athletes could learn from the life and career of Stan Musial?" Bernie Miklasz writes, "America gives back to Musial with Medal" and "Musial and politics, a history."
If you like player biographies, I read James Giglio's, Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man a few years ago and it is very good.
Here is Joe Posnanski's SI piece on "The Man" from this past August. I usually only save a 2 or 3 issues of Sports Illustrated a year. I saved the issues with Posnanski's featured article on Musial and the issue with Joey Votto on the cover in 2010.
A well-known story about Musial is his instiable love of interacting with fans; this includes signing autographs and Stan is still doing it. If you see him out in public, I'm sure he'll give you one for free but you can buy a Stan Musial autograph from StanTheMan Inc. My wife bought me an autographed baseball one year for Christmas and it remains at the center of my collection. Funny story about that... the autograph was supposed to be a surprise but I was home alone one day and the home phone rang, the caller ID read, "Stan Musial." I thought to myself, "What the heck!?" I picked up that phone with a slightly sweaty palm to find that it was Stan's office (Stan The Man Inc.) calling to tell me that my baseball was being shipped.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Faith, Fandom, and the Sports Geography of Northwestern Ohio
Over half a year has passed since my last post but pitchers and catchers have already begun to report and my mind is fluttering with images of games of catch, long toss, and other pre-game rituals. Today, a 40-degree temperature here in Toledo feels downright balmy and is beginning to melt the 18" of snow we received less than two weeks prior. Who knows I could see grass in the backyard by Opening Day!
Sports geography has long interested me and most notably the distribution of fans. I like to think about how these patterns develop and how people pass along or develop their fandom. Likening sports as religion is nothing new but that's the way I like to thing about sports geography and the nature of fandom. We pass these rituals and allegiances from generation to generation, we make pilgrimages to stadiums (aka Green Cathedrals) to renew our faith, during pilgrimage we feel a sense of community, we perform rituals as well as adorn sacred garments, maybe in the form of a lucky hat. Occasionally, someone in the family can test their boundaries (i.e. a Cubs fan in a Cardinals household) and sometimes religious adherence can fluctuate with age. Our faith can also be tested throughout out lives as success rates of our clubs peak and plummet. Take a person growing up in Pittsburgh during the 1970s. They would have had a successful team to follow and would likely develop a stronger sense of "faith" during their formative years. Children growing up in "Pirate Land" today have little to base their faith on and may be more likely to turn to a team with a national following like the Yankees or completely turn their backs on baseball.
Now to my primary task at hand, a brief description of the sports geography in northwestern Ohio. This part of the Buckeye State, around Toledo, is a cultural transition zone when it comes to sports; Nike's "United Countries of Baseball" map is pretty accurate in this respect. Just as further illustration, Buckeye Cable (my local television cable company) carries Tigers, Indians, and Reds games. I think this is extremely unique and would speculate that there are very few, if any, other places in the country where this would happen without paying extra. Toledo has both Tigers and Indians radio affiliates and Reds affiliates from Fostoria and Lima, OH are within signal strength (WLW, the Reds flagship, can be tapped into on some evenings).
The Detroit Tigers allegiance is obvious in Toledo. Around town you'll see more Old English Ds than anything else; one reason is our geographic proximity to the Motor City. We're about a 45mins to 1 hour drive, depending on what part of town you live in. The Toledo Mud Hens are also a city staple. The Mud Hens-Tigers affiliation is one of the longest running in baseball and with the Triple-A status, Toledoans can see players go up to- and down from Detroit on a regular baseball which adds to the emotional bond between fan and team. The demographics for Tigers fans in Toledo seems to stretch across all age groups.
Indians fans in Toledo seem to be mostly of the mid 20s - early 30s age bracket. This would make the formative years of fandom coincide with the 1990s success of the Tribe. I haven't noticed any trends for Reds fans in Toledo probably because there aren't enough to get a good sample size. I'm a Reds fan but I didn't grow up in this area. The best place to see Reds fans in the Toledo area is Fifth Third Field when the Mud Hens play the Louisville Bats (the Reds Triple-A club). You really have to go south of Bowling Green before you begin to see the number of Cincinnati fans pick up. It also seems that as you go southward of Toledo, away from the Michigan line, Indians fans will increase and Tigers fans will decrease. I sat next to an older man at a Mud Hens game a few years ago who told me that, everyone west of the Maumee River used to be a Tigers fan and everyone east of the Maumee was an Indians fan; I don't really believe that but I just wanted to pass it along.
On to other sports... There is no better place to witness the Ohio State - Michigan rivalry than Toledo. It's about about a 50/50 split here. We are geographically closer to Ann Arbor (45min drive) than Columbus (2 1/2 hours drive) but for some people state lines mean a lot. Many root for Ohio State because they're Ohioans, others roots for Michigan because their families are from Michigan or their grandfather was a Wolverine fan. It's not uncommon to see homes sporting flags for both universities on a single flag pole in the front yard. Although I'm relatively neutral in the situation, everyone here seems to have an opinion; "Ohio State or Michigan?" is a question you're often asked by someone you meet for the first time. There is also a segment in the newspaper, The Blade, that spotlights local high school athletes. Student-athletes list their favorite musical artist, fast food, the person they most admire, and, of course, "Ohio State or Michigan?" People (usually U of M fans) will even evoke the Toledo War of 1835! The Toledo area even has the Buckeye & Wolverine Shop. Which makes me wonder, is there a Cubs/Cardinals store in central Illinois or a Jayhawk/Tiger outlet in Kansas City?
Toledo is also a hockey town. The Glass City's minor league hockey franchise has mostly teamed with the Red Wings over the years although the Walleye are now affiliated with both Detroit and Chicago (yeah, it's odd). NHL fandom is dominated by Detroit. I don't think I've ever seen anyone wearing any Columbus Blue Jackets apparel in Toledo (my guess is probably because of the success factor).
The weirdest sports geography in Toledo has to be the city's NFL fandom. Take a look at the NFL maps on any given Sunday during the regular season and we're getting the Browns and the Lions on our TV sets. Browns and Lions allegiances are also commonly seen on the cultural landscape in the form of license plate frames, back window decals, and various team apparel. Go to a supermarket on a Sunday, however, and what you'll see the most of are Steelers fans! They're everywhere and it's more than mildly annoying. Go into a department store like JC Penney and you'll have more options for Steelers gear that you will Browns or Lions. Why is this? I have a few ideas. The success factor is obvious. Neither Detroit or Cleveland has been on the top of the NFL world in the Superbowl era; it's hard to cultivate new fans or keep your old ones for that matter with such long-term mediocrity. Another thought that I've had is, Steelers fans are more visible. They are more likely to wear a Polamalu jersey to Kroger and more likely to hang that black & gold flag out the window of their vehicle. Browns and Lions fans just might be more subtle, they don't feel like that have to shout out their "religious beliefs" in a public setting. Maybe I'm wrong here but NFL fandom, to me, just seems less regionally loyal than other sports. You are likely to see your team play on television several times a year regardless of whether or not you follow the local team.
I'm going to leave you with something that is not an uncommon find in northwestern Ohio. A few months ago I was behind an SUV at a stoplight. The vehicle has a personalized Ohio license plate that read "GO BEN 7" accompanied by University of Michigan and Detroit Tigers decals in the upper corners of the back window.
Sports geography has long interested me and most notably the distribution of fans. I like to think about how these patterns develop and how people pass along or develop their fandom. Likening sports as religion is nothing new but that's the way I like to thing about sports geography and the nature of fandom. We pass these rituals and allegiances from generation to generation, we make pilgrimages to stadiums (aka Green Cathedrals) to renew our faith, during pilgrimage we feel a sense of community, we perform rituals as well as adorn sacred garments, maybe in the form of a lucky hat. Occasionally, someone in the family can test their boundaries (i.e. a Cubs fan in a Cardinals household) and sometimes religious adherence can fluctuate with age. Our faith can also be tested throughout out lives as success rates of our clubs peak and plummet. Take a person growing up in Pittsburgh during the 1970s. They would have had a successful team to follow and would likely develop a stronger sense of "faith" during their formative years. Children growing up in "Pirate Land" today have little to base their faith on and may be more likely to turn to a team with a national following like the Yankees or completely turn their backs on baseball.
Now to my primary task at hand, a brief description of the sports geography in northwestern Ohio. This part of the Buckeye State, around Toledo, is a cultural transition zone when it comes to sports; Nike's "United Countries of Baseball" map is pretty accurate in this respect. Just as further illustration, Buckeye Cable (my local television cable company) carries Tigers, Indians, and Reds games. I think this is extremely unique and would speculate that there are very few, if any, other places in the country where this would happen without paying extra. Toledo has both Tigers and Indians radio affiliates and Reds affiliates from Fostoria and Lima, OH are within signal strength (WLW, the Reds flagship, can be tapped into on some evenings).
The Detroit Tigers allegiance is obvious in Toledo. Around town you'll see more Old English Ds than anything else; one reason is our geographic proximity to the Motor City. We're about a 45mins to 1 hour drive, depending on what part of town you live in. The Toledo Mud Hens are also a city staple. The Mud Hens-Tigers affiliation is one of the longest running in baseball and with the Triple-A status, Toledoans can see players go up to- and down from Detroit on a regular baseball which adds to the emotional bond between fan and team. The demographics for Tigers fans in Toledo seems to stretch across all age groups.
Indians fans in Toledo seem to be mostly of the mid 20s - early 30s age bracket. This would make the formative years of fandom coincide with the 1990s success of the Tribe. I haven't noticed any trends for Reds fans in Toledo probably because there aren't enough to get a good sample size. I'm a Reds fan but I didn't grow up in this area. The best place to see Reds fans in the Toledo area is Fifth Third Field when the Mud Hens play the Louisville Bats (the Reds Triple-A club). You really have to go south of Bowling Green before you begin to see the number of Cincinnati fans pick up. It also seems that as you go southward of Toledo, away from the Michigan line, Indians fans will increase and Tigers fans will decrease. I sat next to an older man at a Mud Hens game a few years ago who told me that, everyone west of the Maumee River used to be a Tigers fan and everyone east of the Maumee was an Indians fan; I don't really believe that but I just wanted to pass it along.
On to other sports... There is no better place to witness the Ohio State - Michigan rivalry than Toledo. It's about about a 50/50 split here. We are geographically closer to Ann Arbor (45min drive) than Columbus (2 1/2 hours drive) but for some people state lines mean a lot. Many root for Ohio State because they're Ohioans, others roots for Michigan because their families are from Michigan or their grandfather was a Wolverine fan. It's not uncommon to see homes sporting flags for both universities on a single flag pole in the front yard. Although I'm relatively neutral in the situation, everyone here seems to have an opinion; "Ohio State or Michigan?" is a question you're often asked by someone you meet for the first time. There is also a segment in the newspaper, The Blade, that spotlights local high school athletes. Student-athletes list their favorite musical artist, fast food, the person they most admire, and, of course, "Ohio State or Michigan?" People (usually U of M fans) will even evoke the Toledo War of 1835! The Toledo area even has the Buckeye & Wolverine Shop. Which makes me wonder, is there a Cubs/Cardinals store in central Illinois or a Jayhawk/Tiger outlet in Kansas City?
Toledo is also a hockey town. The Glass City's minor league hockey franchise has mostly teamed with the Red Wings over the years although the Walleye are now affiliated with both Detroit and Chicago (yeah, it's odd). NHL fandom is dominated by Detroit. I don't think I've ever seen anyone wearing any Columbus Blue Jackets apparel in Toledo (my guess is probably because of the success factor).
The weirdest sports geography in Toledo has to be the city's NFL fandom. Take a look at the NFL maps on any given Sunday during the regular season and we're getting the Browns and the Lions on our TV sets. Browns and Lions allegiances are also commonly seen on the cultural landscape in the form of license plate frames, back window decals, and various team apparel. Go to a supermarket on a Sunday, however, and what you'll see the most of are Steelers fans! They're everywhere and it's more than mildly annoying. Go into a department store like JC Penney and you'll have more options for Steelers gear that you will Browns or Lions. Why is this? I have a few ideas. The success factor is obvious. Neither Detroit or Cleveland has been on the top of the NFL world in the Superbowl era; it's hard to cultivate new fans or keep your old ones for that matter with such long-term mediocrity. Another thought that I've had is, Steelers fans are more visible. They are more likely to wear a Polamalu jersey to Kroger and more likely to hang that black & gold flag out the window of their vehicle. Browns and Lions fans just might be more subtle, they don't feel like that have to shout out their "religious beliefs" in a public setting. Maybe I'm wrong here but NFL fandom, to me, just seems less regionally loyal than other sports. You are likely to see your team play on television several times a year regardless of whether or not you follow the local team.
I'm going to leave you with something that is not an uncommon find in northwestern Ohio. A few months ago I was behind an SUV at a stoplight. The vehicle has a personalized Ohio license plate that read "GO BEN 7" accompanied by University of Michigan and Detroit Tigers decals in the upper corners of the back window.
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