JSngry

Koji...I liked that guy, but he was quirky. His first half-season here, he was always whining on Twitter abut how hot it was here and how lonely he was in his hotel room. It kinda died down once the Tweets started getting translated to English and posted on Lone Star Ball. And then next year, when Yu got here, it always seemd that he wasn't cool with the Japanese media circus surorunding Darvish. Helluva pitcher, though, plenty of heartonce on the mound. But he sure seemed quirky when off it.

Andrew Friedman left the Rays to be GM of the Dodgers. Joe Maddon is expected to leave the Rays to manage the Cubs. Locally, highly successful interim manger Tim Bogar did not make the final cut for the permanent gig. Instead, it went to Jeff Bannister, a Clint Hurdle protege. It's a choice that has local fans sort of excited, as the expectations are for a more Saber-sensitive in-game management, the one thing that really irked all but the most die-hard Ron Washington fans, although Bannister has been quoted as saying that ultimately, he trusts his gut too.

And assuming that "20th Century" is a true chronological entity and not a cultural identifier, for starters, here's some genuine pop-culture icons: Marcus Garvey Jackie Robinson Bob Marley James Brown Oprah Winfrey Michael Jordan Ray Charles Malcolm X Martin Luther King Duke Ellington Stevie Wonder Bessie Smith Richard Pryor B.B. King Bill Cosby Jesse Jackson and Jerry Mathers as Princess Di. And that's just for the Northwestern Hemisphere English-speaking world, and just a beginning, at that.

Princess Di only iconic through accidents of both birth and death. IMO It's not the 20th Century without porn, and anybody who wants to acknowledge that without dealing with REAL porn need look no further than Bettie Page. Ooh-la-LAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You talking about Howard Johnson's 4 tuba band...Substructure, right? Probably not... Stumbled across this...that's a lot of bass to be hardly heard! As well as this, which leads to how do we not recall Red Callender?!?!?! http://www.wirz.de/music/tubafrm.htm

RIP.

Funny how as the 21st Century progresses, Bettie Page more and more becomes a 20th Century pop culture icon. And why not!

French horn, maybe? Black Saint & The Sinner Lady, maybe? Can't leave Bill Barber unmentioned as an ensemble player. You'll be hard-pressed, still, to find that type of thing done better. Put me down with the Johnson, Daley, Stewart, and anybody who's with Threadgill crowd. Coming of age as I did in the era when funk/R&B was bringing the bass so far into the forefront, the viscerality of these guys' playing was difficult to ignore, and damn near impossible to be attracted to. Respect & appreciate Draper more than I really like him...a rough life, apparently, lots of "distractions". Are we including Sousaphone in this discussion as well? I suppose we are, what with Cyrus St. Clair and all.

This. Definitely a "product of its time", as they say, but those 70s Pharoah impulse! albums are all messy in some form or fashion. I'd rather have it than not have it.

Some pretty interesting moves in the front office/managerial ranks...if the movement on the player front is this eye-catching, we're in for a helluva winter!

I think it's fair to say that my deliberately not bothering to listen to this is conceptual listening in the interest of having a conceptual opinion. Apples to apples, after all.

We're beginning the 20th Century around 1955 or so, correct? Otherwise, Jolson? Chaplin, indeed. Hope, Benny, and of the vaudeville-to-radio-to-TV people who were big for most of the century. Would we dare consider Hemingway? People used to read, and authors used to be celebrities, and Hemingway was a pretty big one as I understand it. Ask again in 2050 or so, and let's see what them that are alive then have to say about all this.

Not at all, just saying that long before there was the Race To Space, there was the Craving For The Clouds.

Absolutely did notice that. Takes a lot of discipline lay off of those, especially when one swing of the bat can change the game. Proof yet again that pitching will damn near always have the advantage unless/until a mistake is made. And Baumgardner wasn't in the mood to make mistakes. The misspelling of MG's name is intentional. If you will notice, the added letters were "A" & "D", which are Secret Code for Absolutely Dominating. It's a method of sending secret messages that I learned from studying the secret life of Anton Webern. We're sending messages to people who need to know and can't find out by any other means. People with their decoder rings already know this. If you don't have yours yet, start saving the boxtops, they're still in stock, but supplies are limited!

Picked up this past Sunday: George Lewis - Oh, Didn't He Ramble (Verve), with autographs of "Truly, George Lewis" & "Dave Oxley Drums & Vocals", of whom I have never heard, and who is not on the record in question, but who has a very distinctive signature. Jazz of the Connecticut Traditional Jazz Club (Conntrad Jazz) - with autographs galore! On the front cover - "Best Wishes To Lou, John (?)" & "To Lou, Best Of Luck, Jo (?) Jr.". On the back cover - "Doc Cheatham", "Earle Warren, Alto Sax", "Dill Jones", "Benny Morton", "Thanks, Paul Quinichete (? - only one "t"!?!", and "Eddie Durham". Appearing on the album (a complication of various live performances by various groups) in musical but not autographical form are Vic Dickenson, Buddy Tate, Bill Crow, and (surely not the "Lou" of the autographitorial dedications) Lou Levy. $14 for the pair, easily worth FIFTY BAJILLION DOLLARS to the right buyer, at auction. [EDIT] I would appear to be remiss in not knowing at least the name of Dave Oxley! http://www.knowla.org/entry/1846/

Finally! Thank you!

Big Bad John Bad, Bad Leroy Brown Buzzcut Pshycho

Well, we had us a series, eh? Baumgardner, just too much, what a performance. The Panda, too, what a bright light he is. Yet and still, much love here for the Royals. I thought I would have no fun baseball this year, none, but then came the Royals, and they stayed in there, feasible and unlikely winners (the best combination for my baseball and/or life entertainment value) until the very last out, did not go quietly after all, wondering if one more in the tank until proven otherwise. Last out, last inning, last game, and you're not convinced that it'll be over until, well, yes, now it's over. So, Hey Royals!

Yeah, Papasoff! Mostly on bari here, and a good side, still. Funny, while looking for that, I found this http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?/topic/4638-baritone-saxophonists/?view=findpost&p=550558&hl=papasoff I'm still represetin' for Jack Washington!

I only hope that Bobby is being well taken of and is as comfortable and as active as his condition will allow.

You still having birthdays? Aren't you a little old for that?

Somebody show some love for Jack Washington, please!

One could easily (and accurately) say the same thing about getting married, having kids,and/or getting a corporate job. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you wish you were dead. All decisions have consequences. Really sorry/sad to hear this about Bobby, and no, I don't advocate laxity towards smoking, anything but, so glad I quit when I did. Nevertheless, if, god forbid, he drops dead right now, he made his life count in a way that a bajillion non-smokers haven't. So I'll choose to note that over the route by which he is exiting. I wonder if he could take a train instead of flying. Seriously.