ghost of miles

Wow--I got a lot more out of it than that, Matthew. Time, remembrance, the broad sweep of life and the way that baseball reflects it. Pete Abraham loved it, and he's a Boston Globe writer!

Thanks to the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham for hipping readers (via Twitter) to Sam Borden's beautiful piece about last night at Yankee Stadium: Moment of silence elicits years of memories

...and now builds them for others: Small house living

Great, dramatic win by the Yanks tonight against Tampa Bay after the tributes to Steinbrenner and Sheppard, tying the game twice through home runs--Nick Swisher hitting one in the bottom of the 8th, and then knocking in Granderson in the bottom of the 9th to win it. Glad to get that W under our belts, as we're facing TB's top two pitchers tomorrow and Sunday. EDIT: Dave James and other Yankees fans, the full clip of Swish's walkoff single and subsequent pie-in-the-face from A.J.: Swish's gamewinner Big, big emotional victory for the Yanks. The sequence in the 9th--Granderson leading off with a hit against a leftie, a great bunt by Pena, Gardner turning an 0-2 count into a walk, and then--it sure would have been perfect for Jeter to get the walkoff, but it came down to Nick Swisher, who had a hell of a night (3-5 and robbed of what would have been another homer). And Swisher's enthusiasm is contagious, just a pleasure to watch, last year and this year. Like the comeback against the Dodgers, this game makes me think this year's edition might have the grit to repeat as champs after all. God, that was a great game to listen to!

My first two tries: David Foster Wallace and... H.P. Lovecraft?

Googling seems to indicate that it comes from a Season 8 episode called "The Abstinence." It's definitely got to be from near the end of the show's run, since the '96 WS is referenced.

Dave James, while watching the "Larry David as Steinbrenner" clips again, I came across this 1997 clip, which I'd never seen before--George Costanza giving batting lessons to Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams: Jeter and Bernie on Seinfeld

Bill Kirchner will be devoting his monthly edition of WBGO's Jazz From the Archives to Lees:

Great set to get, Peter. Wasn't that one that evaporated without warning, due to the expiration of the licensing agreement? I haven't listened to it in a long time, but seeing this topic pop up today will probably prompt me to pull it out when I get home tonight.

Many apologies for the oversight, but much belated appreciation to the several Organissimo posters who contributed to the recent Night Lights online fund-drive--we made our goal and then some. Such votes of support from this crowd in particular are especially heartening... many thanks. We'll have an on-air drive in the autumn, and I'll probably drop a note or two about that (esp. for any folks who missed the summer online drive & still want to kick in a few bucks), but its presence here will be very low-key; also, next year's summer online drive will be shortened up & done in 7-10 days (as opposed to three weeks). As always, any input or suggestions regarding the show, the fund-drive, or anything else are welcome; I still think of this board as the home base for the program. We're on 14 stations now in 38 markets, and many individual episodes have been licensed through PRX for broadcast on stations all over the country (most recently the Louis Armstrong "It's All in the Game" show was picked up by Mississippi Public Broadcasting for broadcast on its statewide radio network). I don't think the distribution we've had would've been possible without the early support for the show shown here, so again, many thanks.

Yeah, I guess it's too much to expect that the Angels fans would overcome longstanding animosity for the sake of cheering on the collective league team. (Said without sarcasm.)

Hey Dan, did you catch how loudly the Red Sox and Yankee players were booed when they were introduced tonight? By an AL home team crowd, no less!

Now there's an intriguing alternate universe: Catfish Hunter & Reggie & Goose sign with Cleveland, and the Indians win a World Championship or two. Then of course since there's no revenue to support the spending, Steinbrenner bails out of the business ... and maybe the Yankees are working on a 45 year championship drought. I can dream can't I? Anyway, that's giving Steinbrenner far too much credit. In 1972 the Indians still had Chambliss, Nettles & Tidrow. Perhaps the trades don't happen. And the Indians had Gaylord Perry. You never know, maybe the alternate universe Indians coulda been a contender. The Yankee teams that won world championships nearly always benefited from some shrewd trades (the players you mention, Paul O'Neill and Tino Martinez in the 1990s, Nick Swisher on the current team).

This article about Derek Jeter from spring training earlier this year came to mind today--I would love to see Jeter become a part of the Yankee ownership group some day. Hard to get a sense for how much Hal and Hank Steinbrenner want to keep the team, though I can't see them selling it any time soon (and I can't even begin to fathom how much NY is now worth... way, way more than the $8 million George paid for the team in 1973). But I can't imagine anybody more appropriate than Derek Jeter for at least a partial stake in the Yankees. EDIT: ESPN says the Yanks are now worth $1.6 billion. Well, that's a pretty steep mountain for Jeter to climb--but I'd love to see him find a way.

New York Times Steinbrenner obit A lighter note: Larry David as Steinbrenner on Seinfeld Steinbrenner-Derek Jeter VISA commercial

Steinbrenner's death confirmed.

On a more upbeat note: An All-Star again, A-Rod gets reflective

There's a report out that George Steinbrenner has died. A rough couple of days for Yankee fans, what with Sheppard's death as well. As for Steinbrenner, whatever one thinks of him (and my own feelings have always been pretty ambivalent), the guy was definitely a larger-than-life character.

Many thanks, Niko.

I'm working on a Night Lights show featuring music from some of the Charlie Parker memorial concerts that were held in the first 15 years or so after his death. Apparently there was an annual one in Chicago (documented on the Ira Sullivan 2-CD set BIRD LIVES!). Did any board members attend any of these concerts or hear much about them? I'm also trying to run down some sort of copy of the 1970 "Charlie Parker Memorial Concert" 2-LP set that was recorded in Chicago that year, featuring, among others, Dexter Gordon and Red Rodney.

Wow...anybody else see Corey Hart in the first round of the home-run derby tonight?

Yankees' YES announcer John Flaherty catches foul ball hit into booth: "It's comin' right at us!" (gratuitous AIRPLANE! reference on my part)

Up for what would have been Mr. Gonsalves' 90th b-day today: Off the A-Train: Paul Gonsalves 1957-63

A moment of silence and then some--glad NY won their last game before the ASB today on the heels of this news. Jeter, who was a huge Sheppard fan, will use Sheppard's taped voice to announce his All-Star at-bats.

Good Gawd almighty, Javy Vasquez pitches his guts out for 7 innings, and Joba gives up 4 ER in less than 1 IP. If NY doesn't solve the bridge-to-Mo problem, then I foresee late-inning catastrophe against any stellar opponent in the postseason. It's become ridiculous--the guy is just not cut out for this. Most of the time he's a disaster waiting to happen.