Jaybird's Jottings

John Brattain 1965-2009

Like many, I was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of John Brattain.  

A while back I wrote that he was one of my favorite writers.   That remained true with each piece he wrote at The Hardball Times.  John was progressive and witty, and I also felt a little extra connection as he was a Jays fan.

I just read the thoughts of his colleagues and certainly can't top that.  But I can offer that his passing made me think about Dion's song.

Anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked around and he's gone.

RIP John.  We will all miss you.

Bike and Roll in Old Town Alexandria

Bike and Roll opened their Old Town doors last weekend so Roberta and I decided to check them out yesterday.    At 10 a.m, it was still overcast, but by noon, partly sunny skies prevailed. 

These shots are, in order:  yours truly with their friendly customer service rep,  Roberta along the Mount Vernon Trail just south of National airport, a couple enjoying the 70 degree temps with the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial in the background, the intersection at Old Town where Bike and Roll is (look for Wales Alley just past the Starbucks, which is to the left of this shot) and the docks at Old Town.

Our initial impression of Bike and Roll was excellent.   Our two-hours rental was just $15, as they are having a 2 for 1 special.   Their location is a good one, right along Union Street which serves as the Old Town portion of the Mount Vernon Trail.   We headed north but going south along the trail is also a good option too.   Once you clear Old Town, you may even see the bald eagles situated across from National Harbor.  After your ride, a handful of eating and drinking options are right there (long lines for ice cream yesterday!), and they are steps away from the Trolley Bus and a few more from the dock, where the Water Taxis are.  

Welcome to the neighborhood Bike and Roll.  We discovered we're not in the shape we thought we were, so we will be back.

 

 

 

Marissa Coleman

Washington D.C., sad to say for area fans, does not have the greatest of sports teams.  The editors, however, are usually kept fairly busy.   For example, Sunday morning's sport's section of the Washington Post had stories on Gilbert Arena's long-awaited return to the Wizards, DC United's home opener, number one ranked Virginia's 10-9 win over number nine Maryland's lacrosse team in seven overtimes (the longest game in NCAA history), the Nats filling out their starting five with farm hands Jordan Zimmerman and Shairon Martis, and the Washington Freedom getting ready for last night's kick off match in the new Women's Professional Soccer league.  

All good stories, but the half-inch headline, large color photograph and two by-lines on the front page (if the printed Post ever goes under, I'll miss those editorial decisions) went to Marissa Coleman.

Never heard of her?  

That's quite understandable.   It's a fact that women's sports does not draw the  attention of the men.  But the competition and pressure were there on Saturday, and Coleman had the game of a lifetime in the regional semi-finals in Raleigh.

Playing all 40 minutes, the 6'1" senior forward from Cheltenham, Maryland poured in 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.   Her jumper with 28 seconds left broke a 74-74 tie and she made the two final free throws.   As Camille Powell of the Post noted, Coleman "made countless clutch plays in a game in which Maryland trailed by as many as 18 points and didn't take its first lead until just 2 minutes 7 seconds remained."    As Mike Wise said, "she had 12 points and five rebounds during Maryland's 21-6 run the final six minutes.

The next time there's a conversation on D.C. sports teams, I hope it will go beyond the usual men's pro sports teams and include the Maryland women's basketball team.   Coach Brenda Frese has done a great job of building a top notch program.  

And any discussion on Washington's Game of the Year for 2009 had better include Marissa Coleman's performance.   To borrow a line from a famous anthem, her numbers are too big to ignore.

Our Saturday

An English rain greeted the start of the Cherry Blossom Festival yesterday so Roberta and I hit some inside spots.    We started at the Smithsonian Castle to see the final six designs for the new National Museum of African-American History and Culture.   As you can see by the photo we took, the museum will be located on the Mall near the Washington Monument.   Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 with completion in 2015.

 
The design models and presentations are on the first floor, down the hall to the right after you enter.   For the first time, public comments will be considered.   I was impressed by the Moody Nolan/Antoine Predock design.    It would use natural materials and feature a nice looking outdoor amphitheater.  It's the least sympathetic to its symmetrical surroundings, which I think is a huge hurdle.  But to me it says "the black experience" more so than the others.     

Stepping across a muddy Mall, we walked over to the National Museum of Natural History.   Roberta was excited to see their display of orchids, the 15th year they've been doing it.  Hard to pick out just one photo from her batch, they're all so lovely.     

Up next was lunch at Café Atlantico at Eighth and D Street.   Roberta praised her crab cakes as the best she's ever had.  My butternut squash soup was something I would order again, although the kind you can make at home is always good too.  

According to our server, who I put on the spot, this restaurant used to be home to a firehouse and then a nightclub.   We sat by the third-floor window looking down at Teaism, another restaurant we enjoyed and one that is not as expensive.  

After lunch, we headed over to see Ballerina at E Street Cinema, a 90-minute documentary on the tough and rigorous life of female dancers in the Kirov Ballet.   I'm not a big ballet fan but I can see me going sometime since I now know what it takes to be a great dancer.

All eyes are now on the forecast for Wednesday through Saturday which is the peak period.    The long range calls for partly sunny on Saturday, but April weather is hard to predict beyond three or four days.   Looks like no system such as this weekend, so Saturday is shaping up to be very crowded. 

This year people need a reason to let their thoughts go, so let's hope for the accompanying blue skies.   We didn't get it this gray weekend, but in Washington, there's always something to see inside.    

Washington's Rite of Spring

"Rite of spring" in the nation's capital used to be associated with the Senators Opening Day game at Griffith Stadium and then RFK.   In 1910, William Howard Taft ushered in the tradition of the President tossing the ceremonial first pitch.   The crowds loved it almost as much as the First Fan.     

After a 33-year absence, Opening Day once again serves as Boswell's time beginner, but Washington no longer gets the automatic home field advantage every year.  And although it seems to be a foregone conclusion, the team is anxiously waiting for the current First Tosser to say, yes, I will, for the mid-month Home Opener.

No such problems for Washington's other cherished April event.   The National Cherry Blossom Festival, which began in 1935, expanded to two-week's worth of activities and events in 1994.   Granted the festival features nothing as dramatic and exciting as Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off home run last year to christen the new ballpark and inaugurate the major league season.  The city, however, counts the visitors to the Festival in the hundreds of thousands and economic impact in the millions.    

The Washington Post has their special pull-out section today, a handy guide for the viewing and related activities.   Its mere four pages can't compare, however, with The Washington Examiner's free special which has swelled to 16 pages.  

Of course, not everybody is thrilled with the anticipation of taking in the lovely scenes along the Tidal Basin.   A DCist headline today warns, Brace Yourself For Cherry Blossom Crowds.

Come on guys, the Metro crowding next weekend (peak is expected April 1-4) will pale in comparison to the Inauguration, and nothing says D.C. like those pretty pink blossoms! 

Mel Ott Honored

The Giants beloved slugger and skipper Mel Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana on March 2, 1909.  To commemorate the 100th anniversary, and to honor its most famous son, the city erected a statue earlier this month.  Ott was also honored with the renaming of a section of Louisiana Highway 23 as Mel Ott Parkway.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting has produced an eight-minute segment on the statue and Ott.   They have both the ipod and Windows Link.  

Hat tip:  Fred Stein via SABR-L

Additional Reading

Stein's bio of Ott

 

 

 

Thursday Night Baseball

Maury Brown has an article on the MLB Network's Thursday Night Baseball schedule.   They'll lift the lid on April 9th with the Brewers at the Giants. 

The schedule for the first two month is at Maury's Business of Baseball site.

"Wa"nderful: Japan Wins World Baseball Classic

"Baseball is more than just a sport.  It is an expression of the beautiful and noble spirit of Japan."  - Suisha Tobita, Japanese writer, taken from The Meaning of Ichiro by Robert Whiting

Congrats to Japan for winning their second World Baseball Classic, and doing so in exciting fashion.   

As far as who the next Matsuzaka or Suzuki might be, be sure and check out Japan Baseball News.  Bob Bavasi of Japan Ball has started it as a sister site. 

Brandon Siekfen is covering the Japanese (Spring) High School Tournament, which along with their summer tournament, grabs nationwide attention and media coverage.   A resident of Japan since 1991, he writes an annual draft preview and analysis.  Siekfen also write "The Kuroda Index," described by Bavasi as "a continuing endeavor that projects the performance of Japanese players in MLB."

Whitey Lockman 1926-2009

Whitey Lockman passed away last Tuesday.  He played 15 seasons, mostly with the Giants as an outfielder and first baseman.      

The New York Daily News has an obituary that includes his thoughts about the Giants win over the Dodgers in Game Three of the playoffs in '51.   Lockman hit a one out double in the ninth and then scored on Thomson's three-run homer. 

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Almost Spring

T.S. Eliot said April is the cruelest month, but I think March is.   The mornings remain raw and for every warm day like today, you get four more cool ones.   Today reached 60 but we wanted 70. 

Roberta and I were out and about yesterday and today.  Here's some photos we took.  

Jones Point Park with National Harbor in the background.   Jones Point is a spit of land south of Old Town.   The lighthouse ain't much of one but serves as a landmark.   Dogs and their owners love the grassy spaces.
 

The Gaylord National at National Harbor. You haven't been there yet?

 
Cruise ship going under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. 

Tidal Basin.  This isn't a cherry tree but it serves as a preview of the lovely pink colors to come in about two weeks.

 
I don't think many folks in Washington know what this building is.  It's the National War College, opposite Hains Point.  It's also a great oxymoron.