Batter Up, Charlie Brown

Batter Up, Charlie Brown! Fantagraphics Books Written and Illustrated by Charles Schulz These are truly great days to be a Peanuts fan — Fantagraphics Books is nearing the end of their reprint the entirety of Peanuts and they’ve launched a full-color Sundays reprint series, Andrews McMeel has started a line of themed Peanuts collections forContinue reading “Batter Up, Charlie Brown”

Bleacher Creatures

“I can’t believe you wore that,” Peri said. “How was I to know?” the Doctor said indignantly, raising his voice to shout above those jeering at him. Peri frowned.  “You could have asked.” “Did you not say, ‘Let’s go to a baseball game.’  Is this not the proper attire?”  He gestured at the cap andContinue reading “Bleacher Creatures”

My First Harrisburg Senators Game

Last night I attended my first Harrisburg Senators game. I moved to the York area a few months ago; I needed a new place to live, housing in Baltimore (where I still work, as a copywriter) is stupidly expensive, and southern Pennsylvania had the advantages of being inexpensive and commutable. In the last month-plus, I’veContinue reading “My First Harrisburg Senators Game”

The 2013 York Revolution Fan Fest

Saturday, the York Revolution held their annual Fan Fest. The York Revolution are the local professional baseball team, part of the Atlantic League, an independent league outside of organized baseball. Players in the Atlantic League have, for want of a better term, “washed out” of the major leagues or their farm systems. Some players mayContinue reading “The 2013 York Revolution Fan Fest”

On Roger Clemens’ Return to Baseball

This is absolutely insane. Roger Clemens has signed with an independent league baseball team. Fifty years old, five years since he last threw off the mound, Roger Clemens will be pitching for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League. I’ve taken a look at the Skeeters’ schedule. They’re in York the week of LaborContinue reading “On Roger Clemens’ Return to Baseball”

On the Need for a Nationals Novelty Song

I grew up a Chicago Cubs fan. The Cubbies are still my first love, though when I moved to Maryland six years ago I adopted the Nats as my local team (passing over the closer O’s) because the Nats needed the love. The Cubs have given me many things over the years — they’ve givenContinue reading “On the Need for a Nationals Novelty Song”

On the Virginia League

I was probably eight or nine when I went to my first baseball game. The Harrisonburg Turks vs. the… Somebodies.  The New Market Rebels?  The Winchester Royals?  I don’t remember at the span of thirty years. There’s a baseball league in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, the Valley League.  It’s a collegiate summer league, not a minorContinue reading “On the Virginia League”

On ReDeus: Divine Tales

The gods of ancient Greece and Rome. They were myths, right? The stories of the Vikings, about the nine worlds and the trickster Loki and Ragnarok, those were just stories, weren’t they? The spirits of the British isles, they weren’t real, were they? What if they were true? What if the gods we think ofContinue reading “On ReDeus: Divine Tales”

On Fixing Baseball’s All-Star Game

Last night, like roughly 10 million Americans, I watched baseball’s All-Star Game. The game was over about fifteen minutes after it started; the National League jumped out to a 5-0 lead at the end of the first and the American League never seriously threatened. Still, I gutted it out and watched FOX’s coverage until theContinue reading “On Fixing Baseball’s All-Star Game”

On Sending a Story Into the Wild

Three weeks ago I mentioned that I was writing a new short story. If you followed me on Twitter on Saturday and Sunday, you may have noticed that I was writing furiously on the story. I had a deadline to meet, after all. Yesterday I finished the story. The first draft weighed in a littleContinue reading “On Sending a Story Into the Wild”