Best Food at the Ballpark in 2012? ~ You Decide!

"Strasburg: Last year's version with butterflied hotdog on top"

I found a great little ditty this morning at the Washington Post.  The Nationals are going to highlight special food from the visiting team’s home town each time they play in Washington.   I recommend you take advantage of  San Francisco’s special food “Garlic Fries” this year, especially since the Giants will be playing at Nationals Park on the 4th of July, and not just because they’re our namesake, but because they’re really, really good!

But for sure you gotta love the special food presented by the Washington Nationals this year, honoring their special pitcher, Stephen Strasburg.  I hear it includes 12 pickles, representing the twelve strike-outs the Stras got in his first outing.   Great article written by Dan Steinberg, from the Washington Post.

Nationals Park introduces 8-pound ‘StrasBurger’

By Dan Steinberg, Washington Post  Posted at 02:06 PM ET, 03/12/2012

 

The new 8 lb. Strasburger includes fries and a coke! Courtesy "Yardbarker"

(Marvin Joseph – TWP.) As the baseball season approaches, you know what that means on this here blog: lots of updates on the concessions available at Nationals Park.

Our first update concerns the Red Porch, and a brand-new menu item that will get lots of attention from media and fans: The StrasBurger. Via my favorite friends in Nats PR:

Weighing eight pounds total (including toppings), the StrasBurger is a monstrous all beef burger (combination of ground brisket, chuck and short ribs). The burger is served on a large burger bun with our secret sauce, American cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions, pickle chips and served with a cone basket of fresh cut fries and a pitcher of your choice of soft drink. This signature dish is the perfect entrée to share at this affordably-priced family restaurant.

In case you missed the key phrase, this burger WEIGHS EIGHT POUNDS TOTAL, which is a lot of pounds. Even if some of them are onion pounds. Every TV station in this market will have hosts merrily attempting to grapple with the StrasBurger next month. At least, I hope so.The Red Porch will also feature special food and beer pairings that will spotlight area brews, including those from Dogfish Head and Flying Dog. Any time I get to type “Dogfish Head,” I consider that a win.

Also, the Taste of the Majors stand — which has spotlighted a few items from other MLB cities — will now feature a special dish from the city of each visiting opponent while they’re actually in D.C. Those items will all be limited time only offers, obviously.  The list:

Atlanta:   Smothered Fried Chicken Platter

Baltimore:  Pit Beef Sandwich Platter

Arizona:  Dog Platter

Chicago:  Dog Platter

Cincinnati:   5-Way Cincinnati Chili

Colorado:  Mile High Burger

Houston:  Houston Nacho

Los Angeles:  Dog Platter

Miami:   Cuban Dog

Milwaukee:   Beer Brat Platter

New York (Mets and Yankees):   Coney Dog Platter

Philadelphia:   Philly Chicken Cheese Steak Platter

Pittsburgh:   Pitts Burger Platter

St. Louis:   BBQ Rib Platter

San Diego:   Fish Taco Platter

San Francisco:   Garlic Fries and Shrimp Platter

Tampa Bay:  Salty Dog Platter

Geez, this is all making me hungry!  Only 23 Days to Opening Day ~  See you at the ballpark!

Related articles

• Last Night’s Winner: Strasburger Entrepreneurs [Last Night's Winner] (deadspin.com)
• Garlic Fries and Baseball: The Book Review (mlbreports.com)
• Baseball Food: The New Culinary Adventure (foodservicewarehouse.com)
• MLB: 10 Washington Nationals Questions Going into the Season (bleacherreport.com)

St. Louis Fans Missing Pujols? ….. Not so Fast!

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a huge Albert Pujols fan.  But here’s another way to look at it, courtesy of Sully Videos with a little John Travolta thrown in.  Take a look ~

Related articles

• Here’s The Newspaper Ad Albert Pujols Took Out To Thank St. Louis Fans [Albert Pujols] (deadspin.com)
• Pujols’ wife explains slugger’s leaving St. Louis (espn.go.com)
• St. Louis Church Sending Albert Pujols Jerseys To Needy People In Los Angeles (tracking.si.com)
• Albert Pujols and the Anaheim Angels Both Made the Right Move (bleacherreport.com)

Baseball’s Top Ten News Items in 2011

2011 World Champions St Louis Cardinals

The media’s full of articles and videos of the most newsworthy items about baseball this past year.   You might think this would be those articles you and I found the most interesting and representative of baseball throughout the country, but not necessarily so.

I compiled a list from a survey today of the “top 10″ from USA Today, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN.

Here’s the results and below that I’ve listed my own personal “Top Ten”.  How does your list compare?

TOP TEN FROM SURVEY

1. St. Louis Cardinals, World Series Champions
2. Justin Verlander,  AL Cy Young and MVP Winner
3. Game 162 collapse of the Red Sox and Braves.
4. Game 6 World Series between the Cardinals and Rangers
5. Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit
6. Ryan Braun’s Drug Test
7. Jim Thome’s 600th Home Run
8. Shannon Stone Fatal Fall at Rangers Stadium
9. Mariano Rivera all time saves leader
10. Bryan Stow beating at Dodger Stadium

“TOP BASEBALL PLAYERS OF PAST 60 YEARS!” A Mathematical Study.

This is the third year we’ve published this study by Dr. Don Davis.  It’s one of our most popular blogs and we’re happy to be able to share it again with you.  Be sure to link to his website  for additional information, changes and criteria he used in compiling his study.

“2011 Baseball Players Mathematical Study, written by Don Davis, Department of Mathematics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA., and printed here with his permission.”

Pos’n	First team	Second team	Third team	Fourth team	Fifth team
P,1	Roger Clemens, 266.0	Tom Seaver, 181.1	Bob Gibson, 140.4	Juan Marichal, 107.9	Curt Schilling, 85.1
P,2	Randy Johnson, 202.1	Warren Spahn, 167.5	Sandy Koufax, 137.8	Gaylord Perry, 102.8	Phil Niekro, 84.9
P,3	Greg Maddux, 197.5	Bob Feller, 157.6	Robin Roberts, 136.5	Roy Halladay, 102.1	Johan Santana, 84.6
P,4	Pedro Martinez, 187.5	Steve Carlton, 143.5	Jim Palmer, 133.2	Fergie Jenkins, 87.2	Nolan Ryan, 83.7
C	Johnny Bench, 111.2	Yogi Berra, 92.9	Gary Carter, 75.6	Mike Piazza, 74.8	Ivan Rodriguez, 71.0

Mike Matheny ~ Leading by Example

“Example isn’t another way to teach, it is the  only way to teach. ~ Albert Einstein.”

Last week the sports world was shaken by an announcement about illegal, immoral, unethical, sickening and a zillion other adjectives you could use to describe activities  that have been allowed to exist while the powers-that-be looked the other way.  And then yesterday another college has come forth with a similar situation.  We’ll just have to wait and see how many more are involved.

Mike Matheny as the Giants Catcher

So last night as I was getting ready to shut down for the evening I caught a headline that had crept into my blogosphere:  “Mike Matheny to Become New Cardinals Manager.”  Did I read this right?  How can this be?  I was thinking about the popular catcher the Giants signed to a three-year contract back in 2004.  In his first season with the Giants, Matheny won not only a Gold Glove Award but also the coveted Willie Mac Award given for spirit and leadership.   But the next year was not so kind to Mike as a series of foul balls pummeled his catcher’s mask resulting in a serious concussion that eventually ended his playing career.   I’d heard he went back to St. Louis where he’d played previously and was hired as a consultant or adviser or something.

Veterans Day and Every Day ….. Thank You!

Arlington National Cemetery

“But the mainstay of the big leagues was the reservoir of 4-Fs – males of draft age who had been rejected on physical grounds by the Armed Forces. Not since harem attendants had gone out of style were men’s physical deficiencies so highly prized. Ulcers, hearing defects, and torn cartilages were coveted by team owners.” – Frank Graham, Jr. in Farewell to Heroes (1981)

This and the following list of Hall of Fame Members Courtesy of  Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Hall of Fame Members  who Served in the Armed Forces.

The Civil War
Morgan Bulkeley	United States Army
World War I
Grover Alexander	United States Army
Happy Chandler	United States Army

Ballpark Food ~ Best at Busch Stadium!

I’ve never been to Busch Stadium in St. Louis but since this blog’s supposed to be about ballparks AND ballpark food it just seemed  natural we’d want to highlight the fan favorite food of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Tony LaRussa Vegetarian & Animal Lover

When I found out that Manager Tony LaRussa  is a vegetarian it brought back a memory from one of the baseball tours I took to Yankee Stadium.   After touring 42nd street, I ended up  with some marvelous leftover pastrami (that I hadn’t even began to touch) from an early dinner at  Roxy’s Deli.  There was probably a pound of pastrami left, wrapped neatly in aluminum foil, in a tidy little white bag that Jess our waiter so meticulously wrapped up for me.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I just couldn’t leave it on the plate.  I mean it was a complete meal, untouched.

Game 7. Those Wild ‘WILD CARD” Cards!

Best Fans and Best Team in Baseball

It’s true!  What better gift to the fans of the St. Louis Cardinals than the title “World Champions”!    This picture is my favorite of all the thousands because if shows the team and the fans in unison like they’re in it together and they did it together, which of course they did.   Last year the St. Louis Cardinal fans were selected number one best fans in baseball based on knowledge of the game, loyalty and sportsmanship.  San Francisco Giants fans were voted second.

Game 6. Oh What A Night! Cardinals Force Game 7!

Tonight the St. Louis Cardinals took it to the Texas Rangers in good old-fashioned Missouri “show me” style as the Cardinals won in 11 innings by a score of 10-9.  And “show me” they did.

Here’s a sampling from last night’s game.  Click here to see the entire story by Jeff Sullivan, Editor,  SB Nation: 

David Freese on Defense Game 6

“Oct 28, 2011 - You have to understand my situation, here. I started writing this recap when the Cardinals were trailing the Rangers 7-4 in the seventh inning, and it looked like the Rangers were going to win their

Raining in St. Louis? Fiddley Diddley Dee.

I thought you might enjoy this little filler video while the rains come down in St. Louis,  postponing tonight’s game.  This one’s courtesy of Sooze over at Babes Love Baseball.  I especially got a little chuckle out of her last comment.   Oh to be young again with so much energy …..

“In case you somehow missed this video of an absolutely adorable member of the Rangers Ballpark grounds crew randomly busting a move between the sixth and seventh innings of Game 4… please do enjoy.  Ian Kinsler was not impressed, but we totally are.  (Call me when you turn 18!)

Update: We were just informed that this guy is 28. He just became like a billion times more attractive.”

As only Sooze can say it!

Related articles

• Rain in St. Louis: A Gift for the Cards (blogs.wsj.com)
• World Series Game 6 postponed; schedule pushed back (timesunion.com)

Game 5. Rangers Texas 2-Stepping all the way to Missouri!

The Texas Rangers are flying high all the way back to Missouri, and without an airplane, so I’m told.   They beat the Cardinals 4-2  and are one game away from winning it all!

Here are some excerpts from a  pretty good ditty on the game  in case you haven’t seen one of the hundreds out there.  This one’s from the Huffington Post ;

“ARLINGTON,Texas— Mike Napoli was dialed in, no matter who he was going to face.

A charmed season for Napoli and the Texas Rangers got even better Monday night, thanks to a most unlikely twist – a bullpen telephone mix-up.

After a dropped ball and a dropped call, of sorts, loaded the bases in the eighth inning, Napoli delivered a tie breaking two-run double that beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 and gave Texas a 3-2 edge in the World Series.

Game 4. Mr. Holland’s Opus ….. Derek that is.

Texas Rangers Derek Holland

If revenge were anywhere in Derek Holland’s vocabulary I’d say he sure got his tonight!  I’m remembering Game 2 of the 2010 World Series.  Young Holland was brought in during the eighth inning where he proceeded to allow three walks and three runs before they took him out.  I felt bad for the kid and said so in my blog, ” Day 2. Texas Cain-Saw Massacre” .  Well there’s no feeling sorry for him tonight.  He’s quite the hero and rightly so!  Here’s Craig Calcaterra”s take on it from his Hardball blog:

“Craig Calcaterra  Oct 23, 2011, 11:25 PM EDT

We have a Classic on Our Hands!

“When do you know that a classic World Series is afoot? We certainly know it when it’s over. But at what point as it’s happening can one safely say that, yes, we’re seeing something special? The kind of series that only comes along once or twice a decade? Something memorable?