A Near-Perfect Storm: Rodon’s No-Hitter

 

I had a sweet, next morning account of the Rodon no-hitter scripted in this spot. Like a dope, I failed to save it and, well, we know what happens then.

So, I’ll shorten it up for this one. 

I’ve been blessed to occupy a seat at the national table with Jason Smith in prime time on FOX Sports Radio now for over seven years. We start our show as East Coast games wind down and the opening bell sounds for West Coast action. We prepare to debate the news of the day and extend storylines that are building ... like a good drama serial. But, the live action creates new stories, new arguments and the heart of the show. I argue that we build events and break down the developing drama better than anybody in the business. You can disagree with the assessments and post-game analysis, but there’s a power to that definitive, decisive way of storytelling. We don’t have the benefit of sound (we’re on the radio), nor do we get the overnight to watch replays and read accounts from myriad sources. 

Nope. LIVE and in living color. Championship celebrations, shocking deaths and scandals, legal quagmires, we’ve covered it all. 

Last week, we celebrated Kobe Bryant’s final game, the 60-point gem he offered as his goodbye to the game. We were on-air for that game, and we reveled in every made shot - and because we’re based in LA - the excitement of all our colleagues dancing and jumping around the halls. I cited it as my favorite on-air effort as we recounted that day and played some highlights.

It was displaced 24 hours later as Carlos Rodon pitched an absolute gem against the Cleveland Indians. He was dominant, resolute and reached back for gas in the 8th and 9th innings, throwing harder than he had the rest of the game. It took everything I had to not let the fanboy in me take over fully. 

Rodon’s road the past several years has been difficult, and that’s a gross understatement. Surgeries and rehab limited him to 11 appearances total between 2019 and 2020, and then he was non-tendered this offseason before re-signing with the team. My brothers and I celebrated his retention. And on April 14, they watched Rodon enter the ninth inning with a perfect game intact LIVE at Guaranteed Rate Field. I watched while screaming on-air to 600 affiliates nationwide. 

We texted throughout the game, talking atmosphere and just the overwhelming excitement to be in attendance for this game after the year away because of the pandemic ... and for Carlos. I did my best to convey all of that. 

Smith and I marveled at “The Stretch,” an absolutely ridiculous play made by first baseman Jose Abreu doing the splits. His effort to get the out will be celebrated as one of the finest plays in White Sox history. 

And Smith and I even got into a little bit of a fiery debate once the perfect game was lost to a hit batter. 

“Did he try to get out of the way?” “Should he have made more of an effort?” And the age-old argument about unwritten rules.  

Rodon would finish the no-hitter, and we stayed with this piece of history. The other stories and “hot take theater” could wait for another day. 

It made for great theater and a beautiful symphony on radio. Our editing team rolled in the highlights from that ninth inning, and we played a long post-game back and forth between Rodon and the White Sox broadcasters. He was funny, introspective and real while processing the emotions of the night and the journey.

And I was glad to be there for the ride. It’s a night that will rank first in my memory of this job ... until the Sox win the World Series, of course. 

Day 1: Starting Over

There are several natural points in the calendar that beckon us to pause, reconsider choices and events of our lives, and to course correct. Opening day. First day of school. Spring break. Six weeks until spring break. Fourth of July. You get the point. 

Perhaps you stared long and hard at your cell phone this holiday season. Since you worked from home and binge-watched so many shows, you convinced yourself that you needed that upgrade!

 Maybe you’ve succumbed to the innumerable gym ads during the holiday season in years past. I don’t recall being inundated with such during the race to ‘21. I believe there were more ads telling you to spoil yourself this holiday season. And that’s a good thing. The large portion of America, I suspect, tacked on a pandemic version of the “Freshman 15.” (See what I did there?)

I know I certainly could have done better in the second half of the year. The age-old excuse of “it’s football season” entered the fray for me. With extra work commitments,  radio show and podcast prep, compounded by a short sleep cycle, it becomes commonplace to excuse the extra spoonful of sugar in various forms. As Jim Nantz would say, “It’s a tradition unlike any other.”

The Super Bowl came and went, and the resolve returned as I viewed a reopening world in 2021. So, it’s on to the “Road To Swoll 2021.” 

More workouts

Fewer sweets

More sleep

Less stress

More laughs and appreciation of the good

Less looks into the past

Some business cleaned up on “Fat Tuesday,” and I went in to have some blood work done. So, those were two steps forward into a new world. And then another 10,000 or so with the dog.

On some level, I’m buoyed by my Catholic upbringing and ponder the sacrifice and meaning of the Lenten season. “Fat Tuesday” is more than just the raucous partying in New Orleans. It signals another space in the calendar to pause, reflect and refocus energies. At the end of the 40-day period, we celebrate Easter and the Resurrection. 

Family chides my attempts at positive reinforcement and pep talks. That’s fine. It’s meant with love to find a smile, a laugh or simple “You’re an idiot.” I’ll wear it. 

And in the morning, I’ll do it again.

This blog/journal has been, as you can tell by the sporadic posts, an idea several years in the making. It’s time to make it a daily ritual and to carve out space in the calendar. Find some little wins each day and build community. I’ve got some ideas on features to add, but I’ll always find a way to incorporate the jukebox. 

Here is, maybe a bit on the nose, “Resurrection Song” from Mark Lanegan. 

“Resurrection Song” by Mark Lanegan

Day end of day
Each hanging spiral
Where is the shore
From this clear blue silence
Up to the heavens that you daydream
Remembering the sun and the deep green ivy
I know that sleep walking too
In trying to be free
Of all this damage in my eyes
Making confusion in my mind
When I hear a resurrection song

Night lays me down when I'm fading
When I can't go home
Because they hate me
To sing that resurrection song

Day end of day
Each hanging spiral
What do you make
Of this clear blue silence
Now that the engine driver
Has grown to be a deep sea diver
And the street has got no end
Better keep your heart strong little friend

Thought I heard a resurrection song
Thought I heard a resurrection song

GLEE Night - Don't Rain On My Parade

Yeah, that's right. 

The day started with a fantastic show on FOX Sports Radio alongside LaVar Arrington. We spent a lot of the show discussing the upcoming college football season and the myriad decisions facing administrators, coaches, players and support staff. Several top players opted out of playing earlier in the week, citing concerns related to Covid-19 (the virus itself, as well as its impact on continuity for the season) and preparatory work for the 2021 NFL Draft. As of Sunday morning, administrators were considering scrapping the fall season across the Power-5 conferences. The MAC (Mid-American Conference) and UCONN have already tapped out, citing safety concerns and the recognition of revenue losses. 

It's a weighty decision for each conference and the individual institutions, to be sure. We're talking hundred of millions of dollars to towns across the country, say nothing of the financial rewards to be recognized by the schools themselves. So, there's cash, liability related to Covid-19 exposure (huge implications) and the growing debate over amateurism and compensation for college athletes.

The heavy stuff was offset by our normal brand of humor, pop culture references and improvisation. 

We handed the microphones over to Rich & Steve and Sunday began. We made a trip to a Chicago classic - "Portillo's" -- and their space in Los Angeles. We got a taste of home and paused.

The singalong continued, and we eventually settled in for a night of relaxation and laughs. Somehow, we reached an agreement to sit and watch GLEE. I sold the sarcasm and snark of Sue Sylvester, so that helped. And it's been a glorious run of one-liners, classic songs and laughter. 

I'll take the W.

Centerfield - Life Begins Anew

Centerfield

Couldn't sleep. Thoughts swirling about with myriad topics intertwined. Show prep, day trip plans, meal planning and exercise schedules are just the tip of the iceberg.

We're quickly rushing to the end of summer (I know you got the "Back to Virtual School" emails, too). But, kids and parents don't seem any closer to their natural fall separations. And I'm sure more than a few of you can relate to chores undone and the anxiousness for a return to "normal."

We took at least a baby step forward this weekend, as the first of our traditional "Big 4" team sports finally got back to work. The counter stopped at 134 days. While we waited, we debated restart propositions, mocked myriad test balloons leaked to media personnel and dove headfirst into discussions about health, legal matters, education and social justice. There's a period of introspection and empathy underway that is unlike anything we've seen in recent memory.

The technological boom has allowed us to stay connected and push through a lot of our normal functions. Many people have attended a virtual happy hour or birthday party. Conference calls with a video component are becoming part of the normal paces of running an office.

And, we've used that technology to tap into our collective past. Across the sporting universe, we've heard and seen our heroes of the past and present more than ever. Whether appearing as guests from their living rooms on a radio or television show, sports stars have been regaling America with witty anecdotes, inspirational speeches about their careers and pop culture commiseration.

Each of those clips whetted our collective appetite for live game action, and we scoured the internet for clips and highlights to try and fill that void. The podcast I do with my radio partner, Jason Smith, is called "Special Teams." Each week, we celebrate the good, bad and ugly teams of our collective sporting universe. We fill in the blanks of how those teams were built, succeeded or failed, and how the culmination of those seasons changed the game.

And we laugh ... a lot. We talk of baseball cards from our youth, playing until the lights came on (oftentimes incurring the wrath of our parents) and those heroes that made us love this game. The first heartbreaks of most of our lives occurred on a playing field.

I'll do a separate blog to talk about the changes in Major League Baseball for 2020 and some of the specifics from the early visuals. But quickly ...

We used to get free tickets for straight A's and perfect attendance as kids. Magical nights at Comiskey Park helped forge a lifelong love of the game.

Dr. Fauci didn't find the mark with his first pitch, but he got the "Boys of Summer" off and pacing for 2020. As we contemplate things lost in our lives, in a general sense and those specific to the pandemic, we celebrate the crack of a bat or pop of a mitt.

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Hamilton - Look Around

"Why do you write like you're running out of time?" 

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That line from "Hamilton" resonates.

At one point, I was a columnist/analyst for Yahoo! Sports while working a full-time job there ... and working on my MBA. I was burning the candle at both ends, and probably doing my best to set the middle aflame as well.

When I first heard “Hamilton” years ago, that voracious appetite to spill prose and experience EVERYTHING was very real. And it’s still very much part of the existence. How much (you can insert your own benchmarks) can you fit into your waking hours?

Hell, that's the challenge even now with my radio life. Even in this Covid-19 world with American team sports sidelined, we still leave piles of material and stories on the floor. Sometimes in sports cycles, we have to read a ton of material to become junior lawyers. Other times, like now, we're doing what we can to be moderately knowledgeable about the medical field. This past month, we've turned attention back to the history books and sociological studies. And there's the spidering effect, as I call it, for all of the other disciplines that make the sports world hum along. Be nimble.

We get to tell about our days, our triumphs and struggles, our families and adventures, and any glimpses of insight into how we're "coping." 

Sure, there's a bit of cabin fever going on (not like the movie that the kid from "Boy Meets World" was in -- made ya laugh), so we work to include more walks and cards/board games. And laughs. And we work to enjoy those extra minutes together. 

It's not easy to keep the focus where it should be. There are still show notes to prepare, news to watch, read and process. Bills need to be paid and meals prepped and the clock runs against you. 

But be grateful for those extra minutes. Take a picture. Make a memory. And hold tight like you're running out of time. 

Card Art - Blake Jamieson & TOPPS Project 2020

Sports, Art & Finding Your Passion

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I got a chance to catch up with Artist Blake Jamieson, who has caused a stir in the sports card collecting universe with his involvement in TOPPS Project 2020. The legendary trading card company is producing an ambitious set, with 20 artists giving their unique spins on 20 of the most iconic rookie cards.

The art-sports card connections go back decades, from the early TOPPS releases of the 1950's to the "paint jobs" on cards for players who had been traded or changed teams. Add insert sets with collaborations with Peter Max, among others, and the time was right for another mixing of mediums.

Harmon and Jamieson talk about the hobby, the success of Project 2020 and how Jamieson's journey into full-time artist began.

With You There To Help Me - Father's Day 2020

With You There To Help Me 

We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday.

It started with my Sunday usual, a four-hour trek on the radio. We had a lot of laughs and goofiness between the serious stories that intersect sports and society. And we told a few of our favorite memories growing up --- like getting carried off a football field by your father like a sack of potatoes after having an opponent twist your leg at the bottom of a pile.

Yeah, good times. I naturally gravitated back to those early concert experiences (Jethro Tull very early on) and the eclectic musical choices of the downstairs bar. When home decompressing from his shifts and scrawling numbers and notes into legal pads, my dad would work the record player. And the range was amazing - pivoting between Tull, Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd, Beatles and Stones, and all of the classic singer-songwriters.

I'll always regret not being more proactive in starting dialogues as a kid. Much left unsaid and questions unasked. But we communicated and commiserated through song. And there were plenty of lessons learned about care, consideration and work ethic. And I got louder (see the 24 hours each week on the radio).

And I'm a lot louder in the day-to-day as well. I'm sure my daughters wish the questions and comedy bits would back off at times, particularly when friends are over.

The lockdown during Covid-19 has been a blessing in my respects - for me, anyway. I'm sure they'd have been thrilled to keep moving in practices, workouts and rehearsals. Hell, they've both asked about just continuing the school year given restrictions on activities.

We still got a final recital in on Father's Day, and a bunch of time munching on snacks and watching silly television and movies. And hearing them giggling together over TikTok videos while watching "The Office" was everything.

The roller coasters of emotions and thoughts stop for a minute. Everything's right with the world.