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Celebrate Good Times
Posted on July 3, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under The Motherland | 1 Comment
I know I keep going back and forth on this one, but I think that July 4th is my favorite holiday. Between the parade (because who doesn’t love a parade? oh yeah, my wife), the smells, the sounds, the fireworks, the people . . . when you combine everything that goes into the day, it has the makings of the best holiday of the year. And for the umpteenth consecutive year, I will be spending July 4th in the Motherland. Because there is no better place to spend America’s birthday than in America’s hometown.
Things, however, will be a little different this year. The short-sightedness of the town’s citizens has led to the cancellation of the annual morning parade. If every tax=paying citizen in the town of Plymouth donated just three or four dollars each, I am positive that the festivities would be beginning with the parade. Due to everyone taking it for granted and assuming someone else will donate, the parade is not happening this year. And I have to say that it disappoints me. This year, there will be no one lining Court Street. There will be no one lining Main Street. There will be no one lining Water Street. There will be no one sitting on Cole’s Hill. There will be no one waving American flags in the morning. Congregation Beth Jacob will not be selling hot dogs and popcorn at 9:00am. Basically, this year, if you want to park on any of those streets during the day . . . go ahead.
That’s fine, I’ll stay back at the Finer Estate and watch the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest.
Another change this year will be the fact that I probably won’t be watching the fireworks from Cole’s Hill. For the last 10 years, and maybe a lot more than that, my friend Jen and I have been watching the concert and fireworks from there. But this year it is not meant to be. My friend’s band is playing down in Hyannis and that is probably where we are going to end up.
I know, sacreligious.
I am getting old. My ass hurts. And sitting on that hill, at that angle, for that long is just not something I am looking forward to. I talked to Jen on the phone the other day and she agreed. Maybe it’s time to start a new tradition.
And the weekend will have a sobering theme as my friends and I gather together. Not just on Sunday and Monday at the wake and mass, but all weekend we will be celebrating the life of my friend Bryan’s mother, who was taken from us far too soon earlier this week. As I wrote earlier this week . . .
“I can guarantee that stories will be embellished, jokes will be told over and over, and things that never happened will be stated as fact. And we’ll have a good time celebrating her life and remembering a woman that was there for all of it.”
So to you and yours from me and mine, have a happy and safe July 4th weekend. It’s still my favorite holiday. Well, it is until Christmas comes around again and I am sitting in the living room at the Duttons.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Remembering Roberta
Posted on July 1, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under remembering | Leave a Comment
Think back to your childhood. If you played in a local youth sports league, the cool mom was the one that brought drinks and snacks after practice and games. I never played in a league with my friends Bryan and Paul, but I am sure their mother would have been that mom back then. I say this because later on in life, their mother was the one you could sit next to at the bar and have a drink with. You could tell her anything - the dirtiest jokes, the best stories, it didn’t matter - and she would not judge you at all. ‘Cause she was the cool mom. Always was. Always will be.
And since Roberta passed away on Monday night, I have felt like we all lost our cool mom. I’ve been trying to explain this concept to Bryna these last few days, but you just kind of had to be there. Roberta was . . . well, Roberta.
Thinking back over the last 15 years of my life, Roberta was there for all the pit-parties and all the shenanigans. She was there for the night Bryan fell asleep next to the campfire and woke up covered in soot. She was there for the night I soaked a wet-willie pool toy in vodka and hit people with it. She was there for all the crappy cars, all the nonsense, all the stories I can not write about here.
And it wasn’t like we all had to act differently because she was in the room. She was one of us. If one of us tripped and fell or did something stupid, she was one of the first ones - and definitely the loudest one - to laugh at us.
And if you lived in Plymouth, were friends with Bryan and Paul, and needed a job, Roberta was the one you went to. Just like a bunch of others, she hired me when I needed work back in the mid-1990s. When she told me I’d be working overnights, I wasn’t too happy. But when I reported the old Bickford’s at Exit 9 for my first overnight, I remember not wanting it to end. We were just having too much fun. I may have made less than minimum wage, but that was one of my most favorite jobs ever. And that was because of Roberta.
For anyone that did work at Bickford’s back then, I think all I need to say is the words “Stewie” and “Unsolved Mysteries” and sit back to watch the reactions.
Roberta was a kind and generous and wonderful woman. Despite her being “one of us,” she was always willing to listen and get updates on our lives and find out what was happening. I had not seen Roberta in awhile, but I am sure Bryan kept her up-to-date about me and Bryna and getting married. I can just hear her voice right now saying something like, “WHAT ARE YOU THINKIN’!?!?!?! MARRIED!?!?!?!”
It’ll be like old-home week later this weekend as we all gather to pay our respects. People will be coming from near and far to be there for Bryan and Paul and Liz. I can guarantee that stories will be embellished, jokes will be told over and over, and things that never happened will be stated as fact. And we’ll have a good time celebrating her life and remembering a woman that was there for all of it.
And she’ll be looking down, nodding her head, and laughing right along with us. Because all I can imagine is that gawd must have needed some new material and couldn’t think of a better person to tell those jokes (ours I might add) to him.
Neither could I.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Worst Week Ever
Posted on June 29, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under random thoughts | 1 Comment
This is, without a doubt in my mind, the worst week ever. When it comes to celebrities and celebrity deaths, I can’t think of another week in my lifetime that took so many beloved people in the public’s eyes.
First, the news broke that Ed McMahon, longtime sidekick to Johnny Carson, had passed away. His trademark laugh will never be mistaken by anyone. For those of us that grew up in the 1980s, Mr. McMahon was probably better known for the Publisher’s Clearinghouse commercials. I have been waiting 34 years for him to show up at my front door with a large check . . . and apparently my wait will continue because now it will never happen. Phil Hartman’s impersonation of Mr. McMahon will never be forgotten by those of that religiously watched Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s.
Farrah Fawcett was, well, on the wall of every male between the ages of 13-21 in the 1970s and early 1980s. Between Charlie’s Angels and all of the pinup pictures and calendars, I don’t think there were many people out there that didn’t know who she was. Losing her battle with breast cancer at the age of 62, Farrah Fawcett reminded all of us that no one can hide from this most horrible diagnosis.
When Michael Jackson died, I was torn. The outpouring of support for him and his family confused me because I was wondering if everyone was going to remember O.J. Simpson as a great running back when he dies. Despite all that, Michael Jackson had the coolest clothes, the coolest music, the coolest videos, the coolest commercials, and the best live performances. “The King of Pop” drew ratings and attention wherever he went and whatever he did. Despite all of his weirdness, he will be missed.
And now Billy Mays. My wife and I are HAA-YOOOGE fans of Billy Mays. We bought the Mighty Putty last year and it effin’ works like a charm. We were just singing the praises of Billy the other day to some people. But that’s not all . . .
Saturday night, the mirror being held onto the back of a door in our apartment with Mighty Putty (hanging there for over a year), fell and shattered into a million pieces. We cleaned it all up and were excited because we still have more Mighty Putty in the box to hang other stuff. But wait, there’s more . . .
Just a few weeks ago, we found his show on the Discovery Channel called “Pitchmen.” We have recorded a couple of episodes and even had one waiting for us to watch together last night. Now that he’s gone, the show is surely going to be cancelled. So we lose the mirror, the pitchman, the show, and the man in a matter of hours. For the low, low price of everything, Billy is now gone. And we’re sad.
And in the matter of a week, we lose the best sidekick money can buy, the greatest swimsuit model of the 1970s, the greatest entertainer of my lifetime, and the best pitchman of the last 20 years. If that is not the worst week ever, I don’t know what is . . . . .
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Wakey Wakey Wakey
Posted on June 28, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under Red Sox | Leave a Comment
The last full season that Tim Wakefield was not on a Red Sox roster, I was 19 years old. I was living in Hartford, CT. I was “attending” the University of Hartford. I couldn’t see the games because the campus cable system did not carry NESN.
Since 1995, Tim Wakefield has managed to do pretty much everything for the Red Sox. He has been their number one starter (1995). He has been their mop up reliever (2000-2002). He has been their closer (1999). And thanks to yesterday’s start in Atlanta, he has now tied Roger Clemens for most starts in franchise history. And that’s record he will most likely break on Friday night versus Seattle.
It’s stunning to me think about his longevity. I remember when he came up in 1995. He started his first game, pitched seven solid innings, and won 12-1 over the Angels. Just three days later, he came back and beat the A’s 1-0 with seven-and-a-third more innings. Even in 1995 standards, that was pretty impressive.
And in the 15 seasons that he’s been wearing the Red Sox uniform, he has never had the chance to make an All-Star team like right now. He’s 10-3, 4.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 50 strikeouts, and 36 walks. So they’re not jump-off-the-page numbers, but it seems that when the managers get together to decide which starting pitchers make the All-Star team, wins is one of the first categories they look at. And now that Wakefield has his 10th win of the season, he’s tied for the league lead.
In fact, this is the earliest that Tim Wakefield has won his 10th game of the year. Take a look at this . . .
1995 (16-8): earned his 10th win on July 24
1996 (14-13): earned his 10th win on August 10
1997 (12-15): earned his 10th win on September 6
1998 (17-8): earned his 10th win on July 3
2002 (11-5): earned his 10th win on September 12
2003 (11-7): earned his 10th win on September 6
2004 (12-10): earned his 10th win on August 24
2005 (16-12): earned his 10th win on August 2
2007 (17-12): earned his 10th win on July 12
2008 (10-11): earned his 10th win on September 23
2009 (10-3): earned his 10th win on June 27
Now I still believe that wins for a starting pitcher is still a deceiving statistic. If Wakefield were 7-6 with an under-three ERA and closer-to-one WHIP, he would not be even considered for the team. It’s all about the number in the left column of his W-L line. So let’s hope that Joe Maddon has a heart and picks Tim Wakefield, even if it is the sentimental choice.
And the other thing I wanted to mention about our friend here. I mentioned him about to break the franchise record for starts. Do you realize that Tim Wakefield has 174 career victories with the Red Sox. Only 18 more and he ties Roger Clemens and Cy Young for the franchise lead. Only 19 more and breaks the record. Let’s just say he ends this season with 16 wins (which is totally reachable), he would only need 13 more next year to break it. And that could happen in a season in which he turns 44 years old.
So start writing your letters now. Write to Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays and beg him to put Wakefield on the All-Star roster. And write to John Henry and his friends on Yawkey Way and beg them to bring Wakefield back next year for a chance to break that record.
Timmy’s deserved it. On both counts. Let’s help him get a chance.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Replacing Jerry
Posted on June 25, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under NESN | 1 Comment
Ever since Jerry Remy went on the announcing disabled list at the beginning of May, I have been listening to the games as I have been watching them. For those of you that read me on a regular basis, you know how much it pains me to write that. I figured that since my arch nemesis was out for awhile - and he’s the main reason I refuse to listen to NESN’s broadcast - it was time for me to listen to Don and whoever they stuck with him in the booth.
In Jerry’s absence, NESN has employed two analysts for the most part. There have been others filling in from time-to-time, but two have been the ones doing it the most. Former Red Sox player and current Hall-of-Famer Dennis Eckersley has been manning the booth for the home games and 2004 hero Dave Roberts has been doing it on the road. And since my wife now has a doctorate, I feel I am more than qualified to grade these three guys in what they’re doing.
How are they doing? Let’s take a look . . .
DON ORSILLO
I’ll be honest up front. I haven’t listened to a lot of Don Orsillo in a number of years. His salivating over Jerry in the early years is really what turned me off from him. To me, he sounded like a little kid that got to hang out with his hero every single day. I honestly thought that would wear off after a few hundred games, but it has not. And you’d think that with one of Jerry’s replacements being an actual Hall-of-Famer, he’d be salivating even more but that’s just not the case.
Don has grown so accustomed to Jerry over the years that he just seems so uncomfortable and so out of tune with these changes in the booth. He only gets excited when he gets to throw it down to Heidi Watney for one of her useless interviews that will surely supersede the actual game going on. His “radio voice” is annoying as much as it is fake.
When he’s a Fenway Park with Dennis Eckersley, he kind of has to finish the sentences because Eck doesn’t always have the words at the tip of his tongue. With Dave Roberts, there is absolutely no chemistry whatsoever because Dave is so new to the game.
What’s most interesting is that I actually think, in the long run, that this experience will help Don. I still don’t like the way he announces a game, but he should be commended for keeping the broadcasts afloat in Jerry’s absence.
GRADE: C
DENNIS ECKERSLEY
Dennis Eckersley is a pretty damn good studio analyst. So good, in fact, that I have been screaming for him to get this opportunity for a long time. What I did not realize, however, is the main reason he’s a great studio analyst is because he really gets the most out of the preparation time involved in it. He can sit in the studio, watch the game, study it, pick it apart pitch by pitch, and then get the time to put his thoughts together before saying them on the air. He can have the director replay one pitch or one play over and over from different angles as he finishes his point. Eck is so ridiculously smart when it comes to pitching that his insight is amazing and sometimes it confuses the studio host. To sum it up, he’s really good at analyzing a game from afar.
But now that he’s been thrown into the fire and is being asked to speak without thinking, it pains me to say that Eck just is not suited for this role. Too many times he has taken off his headset before the commercial break, speaks while thinking his microphone was off, speaks while thinking no one was listening, and takes far too long to get his point across. Basically, he wants to be the studio analyst and talk about one pitch and its location long after the moment is gone. Someone should really be in his ear telling him to drop it and move on.
And when they go to a shot of the booth, he just looks uncomfortable and uninterested. In the studio during a game, he can get up and move around and do whatever he pleases for three hours. Now, he’s glued to his seat and must sit there until the game is over.
I hate to say it but the sooner that Jerry can come back, the better off Eck will be. He’ll go back to the pre-game show and shine once again. But for now, I’d rather listen to anything else.
GRADE: D
DAVE ROBERTS
Now please understand that if I ever get the chance to meet Mr. Roberts, I plan on buying him a beer. Or two. Or ten. The man that stole the base that changed my life deserves at least that much.
But we have to remember that he was still a player just three months ago. He retired the first week of April. He’s a rookie broadcaster. And he’s been thrust into a job he’s clearly not ready for. I know this is going to be harsh but I actually think I would rather listen to Suzyn Waldman on the Yankees games than Dave Roberts.
He doesn’t speak in complete sentences. He stutters a lot. He sounds like he’s reading off of index cards he prepared before the game. He sounds like the voice of a video game because it seems that he repeats himself over and over. He doesn’t really “analyze” the game per se, but rather just reiterates or repeats what Don has already said. Don has done his best work his Dave Roberts. There are moments of uncomfortable silence and Don will throw out a random question to try and get Dave to talk. All he gets are one-word answers and stuttering laughter.
Again, I know he’s new and they were kind of forced to throw Dave on the air but there wasn’t anyone else? Really? I’m sure Jerry Trupiano isn’t doing anything these days.
GRADE: D-
So get well Jerry. I hope you come back soon. I have never wanted someone to return so quickly than him. Mainly because I can’t wait to push the mute button again.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Disabling Daisuke
Posted on June 24, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under Red Sox | Leave a Comment
“I think what’s truly important is to not judge him too quickly - on the positive side or the negative side. We kind of have to wait until Year Three of the Daisuke Era to see if he’s worth the dough. Year One he’ll dominate. Year Two the hitters might dominate. Year Three they will each be “used” to each other. That will tell us what we paid for. I know that’s a long time to wait but we really, really have to patient with this guy.” - The Finer University, 2/12/07
It’s Year Three. And this writer doesn’t like it when predictions like that come true.
I was wrong about who would dominate when. The hitters dominated in year one while he dominated in year two. But now it IS Year Three and . . . well . . . my patience has run out. Actually, it ran out about 10 pitches into his start on Friday night against the Braves.
Daisuke Matsuzaka has been placed on the disabled list by the Boston Red Sox. He’s got some sort of shoulder pain, pancreas issue, or it’s his time of the month. Whatever the issue, he’s down for at least 15 days. I have a feeling that he might be down for a lot longer than that.
And no one who has watched him pitch this year is upset about it.
Looking at his statistics in 2009, it’s stunning to think that this is the same pitcher that won 18 games last year and finished fourth in the voting for the Cy Young Award. His WHIP is 2.20. That’s not a typo. Opponents are hitting .378 against him. I even got a hit off him last start. He has allowed 15.2 hits per nine innings pitched. His ERA is 8.23.
The list goes on and on and the more numbers I throw at you, the worse it gets.
What happened to the guy that would dominate hitters? What happened to the guy that had an amazing and internationally famous work-ethic? What happened to the future ace of the staff? Did the Red Sox get rooked on this deal?
Right now, Daisuke Matsuzaka has not proven that he can be trusted to start another game for this team. With John Smoltz making his debut with the team this week and Clay Buchholz absolutely killing the International League - and not to mention Justin Masterson ready, willing, and able - the Red Sox have the luxury of letting Matsuzaka sit on the disabled list for a long, long time.
Some have asked why the Sox wouldn’t try and trade the guy right now. Well, if you can tell me a team not named the New York Yankees that can afford an $8-million pitcher that has an ERA over eight, I’d send Matsuzaka there right now for a bag of balls. So I guess what I am trying to say is that there’s a good chance that the next time we’ll see Daisuke Matsuzaka in a Red Sox uniform is next spring. In Florida.
It’ll be Year Four. Maybe he’ll dominate the hitters again. Hopefully.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Shopping With Caution
Posted on June 23, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under Red Sox | Leave a Comment
Dear MLB.com Store,
I probably should have written this letter awhile ago but I’ve been a little busy. I got married, I went on a cruise, I went looking for a place to live in the town that my wife and I are moving to, and I crossed stadium #15 off my list. But now that I have the kind of time on my hands that is needed for a letter like this, I figured that this was as good a time as any.
I used your store earlier this year mainly because it was the only place to get what I wanted. I usually don’t like buying items “sight unseen” but because of your policies, I had to trust you in order to get what I wanted. I should have just thought of something else.
During most of last year, I was trying to think of ideas for my groomsman. I wanted them each to get a road uniform with red letters on the front that spelled BOSTON, their name or nickname stitched to the back, and a number of my choosing. Since I have an authentic personalized road uniform that I bought in 2004 to match those, I thought it would be perfect.
The first problem, of course, was the price. You wanted close to $275 per jersey. And seeing that none of my groomsmen are even close to being the fanatic that I am, I knew that some of the jerseys would end up at the bottom of their closets. So I immediately decided to get them the t-shirt version of the jersey. It was a cost-efficient way to get the same type of product, just scaled down a bit for economic reasons.
The second problem, however, happened over the winter. The Red Sox, without consulting me, changed their road uniforms. The red letters and numbers that they have been wearing since the early 1990s went away and were replaced with blue letters and numbers. It wasn’t a big problem for the rest of the world, but my ultimate plan of matching the groom -who has a jersey with red letters and numbers - with the groomsmen - also with red letters and numbers - was starting to fall apart.
But I didn’t see this as a problem because your website still showed the t-shirts with red letters. I called and talked to a customer service representative from your company and she assured me that the t-shirts would have red letters and numbers. I ordered them - sight unseen - from the internet because I wanted to type in the names and numbers to make sure nothing was spelled wrong. The website immediately told me that there would be no returns whatsoever on personalized items and that my order would be mailed within four to six weeks.
So I waited. And waited. And waited.
Roughly five weeks later, a package from your company arrived. Excitedly, I ripped open the package and pulled out the first t-shirt. It was spelled right, it was the right number, but everything was in blue. I was amazed at how much it looked just like the new road uniforms but it wasn’t what I ordered. I thought that might be the only one that had blue letters. I pulled the rest from the packages. They all had blue letters.
I checked your website and noticed that you were still advertising t-shirts with red letters and numbers. I called another customer service representative and explained my problem. He agreed with everything I was saying and told me to return the t-shirts. He then said that the order would be placed again, this time guaranteeing me that the t-shirts would arrive with red letters and numbers.
Roughly five weeks later, it was the same thing. I received t-shirts with blue numbers and letters. I was pissed. I went online again as I called another customer service representative. The website was still showing red letters and numbers. This time, I was basically told there was nothing they could do since I already went through one return process for personalized items. What was more stunning was that during this 10-minute phone call, the online store link magically refreshed itself and showed t-shirts with blue letters and numbers. I could not believe my eyes.
After talking to the manager’s manager’s manager, I explained that I was going to tell my credit card company to not pay the bill, it was not what I ordered, and this was absolutely unacceptable. I told them that these were gifts for groomsmen and that there was no time to wait for the right thing to appear. And then I told them I would never EVER shop at your store ever again.
I never got the jerseys. I never got the t-shirts. I never got what I wanted. Instead, I got about 10-12 weeks of headaches. I got about 10-12 weeks of confusion. I got 10-12 weeks of problems. And I meant what I said, I will never shop at your store again.
So instead, I got the guys pocket-watches with their initials engraved on the front. And I got them each a Red Sox yarmulke. They wore them during the ceremony. They looked cool. And after further review, the yarmulkes looked better than the t-shirts.
I know what happened. As soon as the Red Sox changed over from red to blue, the red was no longer available. I get that. I understand that. But to have it sitting on the store’s website for well over four months, apparently available for all to purchase, is inexcusable. And I can not be the only one that this happened to. Not to mention, your customer service staff is so uninformed about the products that you offer. When I work for a company, whether I am making $7.00/hour or $50,000/year, I am expected to know a little bit about what I do and who I represent. The people I spoke to on the phone had no idea what they were selling or what they were talking about. Just pitiful.
So MLB.com store, thanks to your complete incompetence of your company as a whole, you have lost my business. Forever. And to those reading this on my blog, I hope you do the same and find other companies to purchase your authentic MLB merchandise from. I suggest the official Red Sox team store on Yawkey Way. You can find them on the web at yawkeywaystore.com. They are polite and wonderful and always willing to help.
Sincerely,
David Finer
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Visiting The New Shea
Posted on June 22, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under baseball | Leave a Comment
I don’t think there’s any better way to spend Father’s Day than to go to a ballgame. It’s nice, it’s relaxing, and only one thing was missing.
My father.
That’s right, I went to visit another stadium in this great country of baseball stadiums without my father. Sue me.
But Kristine and I were able to cross another stadium off the list in the process. That’s 11 stadiums that we have visited together and 15 overall for me. For someone who is currently unemployed, that’s a pretty impressive list.
Citi Field in Queens, New York is a pretty impressive structure from the outside. It’s made of brick and concrete and happily boasts its name all across the outside. I don’t think there is one angle that you can not see the stadium’s name. I guess when Citi Bank paid for the naming rights, they REALLY paid for those rights.
The parking leaves a lot to be desired. The lots are not well marked, there are not a lot of people directing traffic at intersections, and it’s basically a free-for-all once you get in after paying. And $18 for the lot next to the stadium is a steal. Are you listening Fenway?
We walked into one corner of the stadium, called the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and it is quite impressive. There’s videos of the man himself playing on the walls above, there are six-foot tall numerals (42) for all to have their pictures taken with, and there are escalators and staircases that allow the visitors to access to their seats.
While this whole entrance was impressive, I was a little confused. Jackie Robinson played for the Dodgers in Brooklyn, right? He never played for the Mets, right? The Mets didn’t come into existence until four or five years after Robinson’s retirement, right? Then why are the Mets honoring a player that never played for them in this way? It was just all very confusing to me. Impressive, but confusing.
Oh, and by the way, it was Mets towel day. I got a free towel with Mets logos all over it. My life is complete.
As we made our way to the concourse, the view of the field opened up and it immediately reminded me of Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. There were very few obstructed-view seats from this area on the third base side. We walked some more and got to the center field concourse. It continued to remind me of Philadelphia because of the games for the kids and video monitors at every possible angle.
Our seats were in the upperdeck, section 503, and were pretty decent. They were comfortable, there was plenty of room, and there were cup holders. The only part of the field we couldn’t see was the right field corner and that only came into play when we couldn’t see a home run down the right field line. The food was pretty reasonably priced, I thought, since I got a large soda, a Nathan’s hot dog, and a knish for $14. They threw in a free bag of chips, too, because I think it was free chips day or something. The ushers were nice and very helpful, the guys who manned the elevators were happy and excited to take us to our floor, and the people working the concessions seemed to be interested in not only taking my order, but interested in the score of the game as well.
The stadium has a ton of signage as almost every single square inch is covered by advertisements. The video boards in center field and right field are easy to read and visible from almost every portion of the stadium. The sound system is pretty fantastic as well. But much like the new stadium over in the Bronx, there were a lot of empty seats throughout the stadium. This game may have been a sellout as far as tickets sold, but there were plenty of good seats still available well after the first pitch.
We left in the seventh inning for a number of reasons. First, we had a four-hour ride home and we wanted to beat any and all traffic that we could. Second, it was supposed to be raining all day, but it held off until about 4:00pm. We got to the car and started to drive away when the rain came down and came down hard.
Like I said before, a lot of the facility reminded me over and over of the new stadium in Philadelphia. Kristine kept saying Baltimore’s Camden Yards, but I did not agree. It wasn’t my favorite stadium ever but it wasn’t the worst one either.
And one side note, we spent the morning hours of our day-trip in the Bronx staring at the monstrosity known as the new Yankee Stadium. While we were not allowed inside (all tours were sold out), the place is just . . . large. Kristine’s headed there in the fall with her family so we just walked around to try and get a peek. No such luck.
So that’s 15 stadiums down for me. We’re not sure how we’re going to be able to do more trips in the coming years with us living so far apart . . . but we’ll figure something out. We always do. Citi Field did not come close to topping Milwaukee’s Miller Park for #1 on the list but you never know when you might see the next greatest stadium of all-time.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
The Doctor Is In
Posted on June 18, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under Bryna | Leave a Comment
My yahoo email address is spelled strangely, but it does sort of spell out Dr. Dreidles. My blog is called The Finer University. Up until two-and-a-half-years ago, I don’t think anyone truly, truly close to me would have ever thought that a doctor would join the family.
Until now.
There are great moments in everyone’s life when they should just run around and tell the world the news. I know that it pales in comparison, but mine was when I caught my foul ball earlier this year. Again, I fully and completely understand that it PALES IN COMPARISON TO YESTERDAY’S NEWS but the analogy works.
Bryna - you know her as my new wife - walked into Roosevelt Hall on the campus of the University of Rhode Island yesterday at 10:30am as a student. She walked out at 12:55pm as a doctor. After defending her dissertation in front of her five-person committee, they thought enough of her work to officially declare her a Ph.D.
And let me tell you something . . . besides the wedding day (and the day we met), I have never seen her smile beam that brightly. And I, too, could not have smiled any wider. I am so proud of her.
So much like when I caught a foul ball in April when someone told me to run around and tell everyone that I encountered, I told my wife the same. Tell everyone. Whether they want to hear about it or not. Whether they care or not. Whether you know them or not.
So she called the four parents, my sister, her friends, her cousins, my uncle and aunt, and just about everyone else. Then we went to a restaurant and I blurted it out to the waitress. I will not apologize for that because I am excited and proud and happy and wanted to share the news with anyone that was willing to listen.
We came back to the Bungalow and she took a well-deserved nap. I sat on the internet and started to type this blog. And I started to realize that I haven’t been this proud and excited about anything or anyone since NBC decided to bring back “Saved By The Bell” for the college years episodes.
Thank you, I’ll be here all week.
But in all seriousness, I am very proud of Bryna. I can now run around and tell everyone that I am the doctor’s wife. I am the first husband. I am the one that also gets to enjoy the fruits of her labor. For the first time in public - ladies and gentlemen - I give to you, Dr. Bryna Siegel Finer.
My little Ph.D.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
Spanning The Globe
Posted on June 17, 2009 by David Finer
Filed Under random thoughts | Leave a Comment
Before I drive Bryna to her campus so she can defend her life’s work today, I have a few thoughts on the world around me . . .
- Is Clay Buchholz looking to become the GREATEST AAA Pitcher of all-time? He’s 4-0 in 11 starts with a 1.75 ERA. I know I said that he needed some seasoning in the minors, but with Daisuke Matsuzaka pitching like he wants to be anywhere but the mound at Fenway, maybe it’s time to find an injury for #18 and bring up the kid for another go-around. I am probably one of his harshest critics but even I can tell that he’s earned it.
- And while we’re talking about the rotation, I say that the team just ends the Brad Penny experiment right now before he causes more damage later in the season. Trade him for something . . . anything (a new designated hitter?) and give John Smoltz the spot in the rotation.
- Did I mention that our new landlords in Vermont have ties to Cedarville and the Little Red Schoolhouse? Nice, huh?
- I mentioned last week that David Ortiz was starting to remind me of Jim Rice circa 1989. Now I know it has been stated all over the place that he has started to “turn the corner” (he’s 10-for-27 with four home runs and eight runs batted in during the last 10 games) but let’s take a look at the entire body of work so far. To back up my claim, I did some math and came up with these numbers. Through the games played on June 16th of each year, here are each man’s statistics . . .
David Ortiz - 2009
58 games, 56 starts
45-for-214 - .210 batting average
5 home runs, 26 runs batted in
.308 on-base percentage, .355 slugging percentage
Jim Rice - 1989
43 games, 40 starts
38-for-160 - .238 batting average
3 home runs, 25 runs batted in
.278 on-base percentage, .356 slugging percentage
And 1989 was Jim Rice’s final year in the big leagues. Let’s hope this isn’t the way that Ortiz goes out but I am not sure how much longer Terry Francona can leave him in the lineup as the weak link. All we need to complete the comparison is for Francona to send up Julio Lugo to pinch hit for Ortiz late in some game. Bonus points for those that get the reference . . .
- I think there should be a law that states baseball’s wild-card standings can not be printed until August 15. Someone make a note of that. It will be the first thing I work on when I become President of the United States.
- Phil Jackson the best NBA coach ever? Not sure about that one. He may have more titles than Red Auerbach now, but it took him twice as long to do it with two different teams. Might I also remind you that Red won eight of his titles IN A ROW and nine of 10. Also, Phil has twice as many playoff wins as Red because there’s two more rounds of the playoffs these days. I am not saying that Red Auerbach IS the best coach ever, but he did it in a era when there wasn’t a complete staff around him doing all sorts of jobs and helping him prepare for the games and opponents. Red was the coach, the GM, the owner’s friend, the bus driver, and uniform washer. Phil just coaches the team. Just some food for thought.
- The city of Pittsburgh now has the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup. I don’t care what you think about the city, that’s a pretty impressive feat. And when the city of Boston had the World Series title and the Super Bowl a few years back, people around the country applauded us. It’s time for us to do the right thing and applaud them as well.
- All signs are pointing to the Bruins playing at Fenway on January 1, 2010. I don’t care what body parts or future children I have to hand over, I WILL BE THERE!
- Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids? I am shocked. But I admit I was caught up in all of it just like you were. The night Mark McGwire broke the Maris record, I held up a Plymouth Selectmen meeting (they came out of executive session as McGwire came to the plate in the 4th inning). We were all swept up in it. Chicks really did dig the long ball. And now they’re all cheaters.
- Want to piss off an ENTIRE cruise line and all the passengers? Just yell incessantly at the cruise line comedian while he’s on stage trying to perform his act. I can guarantee you that you’ll be recognized and hated by the entire boat in a matter of moments. I am a self-professed jerk but even I have limits and boundaries.
- Thankfully Bennington has NESN. Otherwise, Bryna and I would have been spending all our earnings on the DirecTV football package AND the baseball package. Now we just have to pay for the football package. But it would have been SOOOO worth it. They are part of the Albany media market so I am interested to see what football games we’re sent each Sunday. Probably Jets games. Great, it’ll be like it is 1989 all over again.
- As pictures from the wedding keep rolling in, I do have to say that the Red Sox yalmulkes were an awesome touch. Don’t worry, I’ll just go ahead and pat myself on the back.
- How long do you think Tim Wakefield can keep pitching? I don’t even want to venture a guess anymore.
- In the past three weeks, I have read three pretty interesting books. Jeff Pearlman’s “The Rocket That Fell To Earth” is about the rise and fall of Roger Clemens. Tom Verducci’s “The Yankee Years” was about Joe Torre’s 12 seasons as skipper of the New York Yankees. Selena Roberts wrote the biography “A-Rod” which included stories of Rodriguez’s use of steroids since his high school days.
I have to say that they were all interesting in their own right. The Clemens book just rehashed a lot of what I already knew about him, but included a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff about his personal life. I almost felt like I was reading enemy secrets during the Torre book and, if true, it’s a shame the way they let him go. The A-Rod book is an excellent bit of investigative journalism. And it makes me think he is a lot more guilty than we think with every day that passes without a libel or slander lawsuit onto the writer. Check them out if you have the chance.
- And for my uncle, I also read the most recent Grisham book (as you requested back in the mid 1990’s that I don’t read just sports books). It was, as usual, quite predictable but it also included some stuff about Pittsburgh.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to wax and polish Vlad the Impala because we’re headed off to the University of Rhode Island today. It’s a big day. The biggest day. Ok, the second biggest day. More on that tomorrow.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email The Finer University at davefiner@thefineruniversity.com. Check out the website at thefineruniversity.com.
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