Baseball Honeymoon # 8

Baseball Honeymoon #8

Happy Anniversary! In celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss, Lisa and Wayne talk about some big baseball anniversaries we are marking this season.

We start out giving a little too much personal info, but those of you still listening afterwards will hear us wax rhapsodic about some important, happy and sad events in baseball history that are in their 5 or 0 year cycle. Wayne’s orange and blue blood spills all over the virtual pavement as he recalls the 1969 Amazin’ Mets, the team that hooked him as a baseball fan. Lisa discusses a few important events, including the ruling that allows women in the locker room, something that has allowed her to make a living as a sportswriter. She also reminisces about her 1st year covering baseball fulltime, as a beat writer covering the 1989 Carolina League champs the Prince William Cannons.

One event being actively commemorated this year is the 150th anniversary of the very first college baseball game, coincidentally played by Lisa’s alma mater, Amherst College against their long-time rival Williams. Our guest at 19:48 is Amherst alumnus Dan Duquette, who was also a GM in MLB for the Expos and the Red Sox. Dan is helping to plan a “vintage game” reenacting the look and rules of that initial game, which will take place on the same day as the scheduled 2009 Amherst/Williams game. Dan also gets into a discussion about his sports academy, and the shameful fact that his daughter has rejected her legacy, and is soon to graduate from the hated Williams College. Of course he is very proud of her, but at gametime, they will be on opposite sides of the field. Finally, the extended interview ends with a discussion of the greatest Expo team ever, the team that 15 years ago was robbed of their 1st and only chance to go to the World Series by the work stoppage of 1994. Dan was a major architect of that team, and tells a little of his pride and frustration.

Music 35:38: “No One Else”, the Wayne Wilentz Trio f/Pam Bricker

It’s trivia time at 36:38, and Lisa probably came up with the hardest question ever last episode. Amazingly, someone did get the answer. Wayne’s question for this show revolves around his Miracle Mets, and will be eminently easier to solve. Listener Feedback comes next, and our listeners chime in on the most unbreakable records out there. Lots of great offerings, all debatable, get read and receive the usual BH raspberry. Just kidding, friends!

The 40th anniversary of division play comes under scrutiny at 52:37 by Bill Heid on this show’s “Curly W” segment. Bill painstakingly reviewed all the teams that got screwed by lesser teams in the post-season. Afterwards, Wayne plays devil’s advocate, and rebuts the arguments by the district attorney. In defending his client, Wayne states that Divisional Play was at home playing Xbox with the DH and Infield Fly rules at the time of the alleged infraction. You, the jury, get to decide.

Music 58:19: “And We Talked”- Wayne Wilentz f/Steve Washington

At 59:11 it’s time for our top 5 most unbreakable records. Lisa and Wayne had similar guidelines, but all of Wayne’s list are actual records. Lisa’s are modern day records, ruling out stats that were set before the live-ball era. Wayne simply ruled out those records.
Understand? Nope? Well, maybe it’s clearer when you listen. Doubtful, but what’s a few minutes between baseball nuts? The game has no clock, and neither should you! You didn’t file your taxes yet? BFD. Don’t worry about the government, they’ll just print more money! It’s easy, and sure makes paying A Rod’s salary less painful!

Out Music: “Doin’ It With You”- Wayne Wilentz f/ Pam Bricker.

Next week’s show will be out ballparks and ballpark memories. What’s that falling out of the sky? It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s hot dog rolls? Lisa…..duck!!

Baseball Honeymoon #7

It’s our opening day blowout on Baseball Honeymoon. You get an extra 25% of talk for the same low, low price of….of ..ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! FREE! GRATIS, BABY!

Episode 7 diverges from our usual format to include lengthy chats with two of the most informed and informative journalists in the game, Paul White of USA Today, and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. We all do our best Kreskin/Nostradamus/Geithner and see a clear vision of the future.

At 2:09 Paul and the Honeymooners (sounds like a terrible name for a band in the ‘60’s) give their prognostications for the 2009 Major League season. All 3 agree that the east is best in both leagues and will provide the wild cards along with the pennant winners. However, all 3 pick different winners! Fun moments include the audible shudders caused by the mention of Kris Benson’s comeback, Lisa’s usual shocker pick for the World Series (think alligators) and Paul yelling “Homer Bailey’s throwin’ strikes!” He also defines the new verb in Doubleday’s Dictionary, to “Longoria”. I guess the infinitive would be “longorar”, no? Yo longoro, usted longoras, Nos longoramos….

35:02: Music- “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”- Bob Bruno

We read some listener’s predictions at 35:37, and there are some interesting and off-the-wall offerings. Ex-pitcher Brandon Kolb chips in, along with some of other new contributors. Then it’s time for Trivia, wherein Lisa anoints a new trivia champ who got our “1st ex-player in the Broadcaster’s wing of the HOF” question. Then she posits the toughest question so far. Good luck with this one, experts!

44:51: Music- “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”- Max Murray

MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo joins us at 44:51 for a reunion of the great internet radio show “Around The Minors”. Jonathan was calling us from an apparent rare spring hurricane, so please excuse the annoying wind noise. Lisa and Jonathan select their top 3 or so minor league players and pitchers of the year, and you are going to hear about a lot of great young talent. You don’t get more knowledgeable about prospects than Lisa and Jonathan, so if you are scouting for your roto team, make a point of checking this out before your draft.

Music-63:37- “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”, William Hung

It’s time for Top 5’s at 63:48. Instead of looking forward, Wayne and Lisa look back, and list the most one-sided deals in recent memory. The only requirement to make this list is that the teams and/or players involved are still being affected by the deal. I think we uncovered a few that might be Brock for Broglio bad. It’s not all second-guessing, Wayne still remembers the cry of anguish that escaped his mouth upon reading about his number 1 choice. Let’s just say that every time Steve Phillips appears on his TV screen, Wayne “goes Cujo”. Lisa gives The O’s (and Wayne’s high school classmate Andy MacPhail) extreme props for a deal that their fans were upset about at the time, but are now grinning happily to themselves when they see the result.

Music 79:39: “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”, Dana Wilentz (at age 3).

This show ran so long, that again we had to bump Bill Heid’s segment. But fear not, Bill will be back next show .

Our next episode will celebrate our 25th Anniversary! You read it right, kids….and they said it wouldn’t last!.
It also is the 20th anniversary of Lisa covering the minors, so we hope to have some guests that represent that era.
Don’t forget to surf over to our Facebook Group, and suggest themes, Top 5’s and guests you would like us to have on future shows.