Daniel Millhouse's Blog, page 6

RIP Gene Wilder

Screencap from Young Frankenstein
Today, at the age of 83, Hollywood legend Gene Wilder passed away due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Semi-retired from acting, Gene Wilder's last official role was the voice of Elmer on the kids show, Yo Gabba Gabba! Known more for his big screen career, Wilder was the star of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory; Blazing Saddles; The Producers; See No Evil, Hear No Evil; and perhaps his best known work of all, Young Frankenstein.

Wilder had been part of that group of people that fellow legend Mel Brooks loved working with. The two had met during the early 1960's when Wilder starred in a play with Anne Bancroft, Brooks' future wife and then girlfriend. The two clicked right away and Brooks cast Wilder in his 1968 hit, The Producers. Wilder did so well that he won an Oscar for best supporting actor. Wilder and Brook would go on to win an Oscar together for penning the screenplay to Young Frankenstein.

Wilder would go on to co-star in four movies with fellow comedy legend, Richard Pryor. Their last movie together, Another You, would not only be Pryor's last movie due to his multiple sclerosis, but also Wilder's last appearance on the big screen.

He would go on to try his hand in television, starring in Something Wilder which lasted only one season. From here, Wilder would go on to star in four made-for-TV movies and then finally acting in two episodes of Will & Grace before retiring.

Wilder then would go on to write books, including his own autobiography. It was around this time that the whispers that he was suffering from Alzheimer's was floating around.

When Wilder passed today, the Hollywood world lost some of its boyish charm. In a world of action and war movies, Wilder was a bright spot, doing his best to keep the world laughing. Even if you weren't a fan of his, it was hard to deny the impact that he had in the comedy genre of movies.

With Wilder's passing, there is a little less laughter left in the world.

Baseball is Leaving Bakersfield

For the first time in seventy-five years there will be no professional baseball in Bakersfield, California. Minor League Baseball announced that the Bakersfield Blaze and the High Desert Mavericks will be moving to the Carolina League next season, cutting the California League down to eight teams next season.

Today was the last regular season home game to ever be played at the historic Sam Lynn Ballpark, home of Bakersfield minor league baseball since 1941. The Blaze have one more week of baseball to play, but these games will be played on the road. Currently they are in first place so they'll most likely see some playoff games at the old stadium, but these dates are unknown as of this moment.

With this reduction in teams, the California League could end up in jeopardy. This, despite being a successful league and being the home of one of minor league baseball's best selling franchises, the Lake Elsinore Storm. The reduction of the two teams would leave the California league with eight teams, making this league the smallest one in minor league baseball.

Admittedly Sam Lynn Ballpark was a wreck. Home plate faces the west, directly in the eyes of the batter. The franchise placed a green tarp fifty feet high in centerfield, but it doesn't help with the appearance of the stadium. Already the home of a scoreboard that was erected in 1982 and seating that is far from comfortable, what the team really needed was a completely new stadium. There was an attempt in 2012 to do this, but the funding for this fell apart.

There is already a precedent in Bakersfield that a proper venue can attract fans. The Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (minor league hockey) do well, but they also have a state of the art arena.

And it's a shame. Bakersfield as a city should have a baseball team. The city has an estimated 375,000 citizens. Fans will have to drive to Lancaster to catch the Jethawks play or to Los Angeles to catch the Dodgers if they want to see a professional baseball game next season.

“Baseball has had a long and wonderful history in Bakersfield,” said Blaze owner D.G. Elmore in a prepared statement. “I am sorry to see it come to a close.”

Former Bakersfield alumni include Don Drysdale, Pedro Martinez, Steve Yeager, Ron Cey, Mark Langston, Mike Piazza, and so many more. Sure, the new Carolina teams will eventually have a possible spectacular roster of alumni, but the history won't be there. This was a Class C franchise that was home to professional baseball in California before the Dodgers and Giants made their way west.

So as the season comes to a close, it is possible that the Blaze could close Bakersfield's longtime baseball history with their third California League championship. It would be a fitting way to see the team off, but bittersweet as the baseball fans will have no where to go next year with their families.

In the end, it should be interesting to see what will happen to the "Game Today" banner that the team hangs along Chester Avenue. Put up and taken down manually all season long, if left up, will be a painful reminder to the citizens of Bakersfield of the piece of Americana that they lost.

The Best MLB Player at Each Number

Often baseball fans will argue topics like who they feel is the best pitcher of all-time is or who is the best shortstop. You'll even here debates about whether the shift works, whether or not sabermetrics are valid, or if MLB Network host Brian Kenny is just a shaved Monchichi.

One topic you don't hear a whole lot is, who is the best player to wear (insert jersey number here). I bring you this list...The best player to wear each number (minimum X seasons with that number) and a couple of alternatives.

00 - Jeffrey Leonard wore this jersey number for 4 seasons and playing in two all-star games with it...alternatives: Bobo Newsom and Rick White
0 - Al Oliver wore 0 for 8 seasons while winning 3 Silver Slugger Awards and playing in 4 all-star games...alternatives: Oddibe McDowell and Adam Ottavino
1 - Ozzie Smith wore number 1 and played better defense that any other shortstop of all-time...alternatives: Lou Whittaker and Pee Wee Reese
2 - Derek Jeter wore number 2 while hitting for a career average of .310 and accumulating 3,465 hits...alternatives: Charlie Gehringer and Nellie Fox
3 - Babe Ruth, enough said...alternatives Harmon Killebrew and Dale Murphy
4 - Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse was the cleanup hitter on a team that had Babe Ruth...alternatives: Rogers Hornsby and Paul Molitor
5 - Joe DiMaggio wore this jersey while leading the Yankees post Ruth/Gehrig, only taking a break to fly planes in World War II...alternatives: George Brett, Johnny Bench, Brooks Robinson, Albert Pujols, and Jeff Bagwell
6 - Stan Musial was "The Man" while leading the Cardinals through their golden years...alternatives: Al Kaline and Sal Bando
7 - Mickey Mantle wore this number and still slugged over 500 homers despite an alcohol addiction...alternatives: Ivan Rodriguez and Craig Biggio
8 - Carl Yastrzemski won a batting title and manned leftfield for the Red Sox for 23 years...alternatives: Yogi Berra, Willie Stargell, Cal Ripken Jr, Gary Carter, Bill Dickey, and Joe Morgan
9 - Ted Williams wore number 9 while being arguably the best left-handed hitter of all-time...alternatives: Minnie Minoso and Graig Nettles
10 - Lefty Grove won 300 games exactly in his career...alternatives: Chipper Jones and Ron Santo
11 - Barry Larkin played shortstop for the Reds during their last World Series victory and eventually made it to the Hall of Fame...alternatives: Carl Hubbell and Luis Aparicio
12 - Wade Boggs wore 12 while finishing his career with the Yankees and then the Devil Rays...alternatives: Roberto Alomar and Mark Langston
13 - Billy Wagner is arguably one of the best closer in MLB history...alternatives: Omar Vizquel and Lance Parrish
14 - Ernie Banks is still the most recognizable Chicago Cub of all-time...Paul Konerko and Pete Rose
15 - Red Ruffing had 273 career victories while playing for the Yankees, Red Sox, and White Sox...alternatives: Dick Allen and Tim Salmon
16 - Ted Lyons is one of the best White Sox pitchers of all-time...Alternatives: Whitey Ford and Hal Newhouser
17 - Todd Helton once started at quarterback over Peyton Manning, but chose to play baseball instead...alternatives: Lance Berkman and Mark Grace
18 - Joe Morgan wore 18 while playing for the Astros...alternatives: Moises Alou and Brett Saberhagen
19 - Bob Feller was one of fiercest pitchers of all-time...alternatives: Tony Gwynn and Robin Yount
20 - Frank Robinson won a triple crown and hit 586 homers in his career...alternatives: Mike Schmidt, Don Sutton, and Lou Brock
21 - Roger Clemens was arguably the best pitcher of all-time, winning 7 Cy Young Awards...alternatives: Robert Clemente, Warren Spahn, and Bob Lemon
22 - Roger Clemens, that's right, he wore 22 while pitching with the Yankees and Astros for 9 seasons...alternatives: Bert Blyleven and Jim Palmer
23 - Ryne Sandberg is arguably one of the best second basemen of all-time...alternatives: Luis Tiant and Ted Simmons
24 - Willie Mays is arguably one of the top players in MLB history and godfather to another player who wore this number well...alternatives: Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Ken Griffey Jr, Miguel Cabrera, and Tony Perez
25 - Barry Bonds is the all-time home run leader in MLB history...alternatives: Jim Thome, Andruw Jones, and Tommy John
26 - Wade Boggs wore 26 during his years with the Boston Red Sox...alternatives: Chase Utley and Billy Williams
27 - Carlton Fisk wore this number during his Red Sox years...alternatives: Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Marichal, and Catfish Hunter
28 - Bert Blyleven is perhaps the best Dutch baseball player in history...alternatives: Vada Pinson and Wilbur Wood
29 - Rod Carew was a hit machine and one of the closest players to come to a .400 batting average since Ted Williams...alternatives: Adrian Beltre and John Smoltz
30 - Nolan Ryan is the all-time leader in MLB history with strikeouts and wore this number while tossing 4 no-hitters...alternatives: Tim Raines, Willie Randolph, and Orlando Cepeda
31 - Greg Maddux won 4 straight Cy Young Awards in his career and over 300 games...alternatives: Fergie Jenkins, Dave Winfield, Mike Piazza, Hoyt Wilhelm, and John Franco
32 - Sandy Koufax could have been the best pitcher of all-time if injuries didn't cut his career short...alternatives: Steve Carlton and Elston Howard
33 - Eddie Murray accumulated over 3,000 hits in his career while hitting over 500 homers...alternatives: Larry Walker and Luis Tiant
34 - Nolan Ryan wore this number his rookie year, and while playing for the Astros and Rangers...alternatives: Kirby Puckett, Felix Hernandez, and David Ortiz
35 - Rickey Henderson wore this jersey number while breaking the single season record for stolen bases...alternatives: Frank Thomas, Phil Niekro, and Mike Mussina
36 - Gaylord Perry is a Hall of Famer most famous for his spitball...alternatives: Robin Roberts and David Cone
37 - Dave Stieb took many no-hitters into the 9th inning, only ever able to complete 1 of them...alternatives: Keith Hernandez and Kenny Rogers
38 - Curt Schilling wore this jersey number while pitching with a bloody sock...alternatives: Robin Roberts and Rick Aguilera
39 - Dave Parker won multiple Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers while wearing 39...alternatives: Roy Campanella and Larry Jackson
40 - Frank Tanana wore this number at a time when he was one of the better pitchers in the AL...alternatives: Bartolo Colon and Rick Sutcliffe
41 - Tom Seaver wore this number while winning over 300 games in his career...alternatives: Eddie Matthews and Darrell Evans
42 - Jackie Robinson is the only player to have his jersey number retired with every team...alternatives: Mariano Rivera and Dave Henderson
43 - Dennis Eckersley was the prototype for a pitcher to begin his career as a starter and end it as a closer...alternatives: Raul Mondesi and Ken Forsch
44 - Hank Aaron, duh...alternatives: Reggie Jackson, Willie McCovey, David Cone, Roy Oswalt, and Jake Peavy
45 - Bob Gibson once had a season ERA of 1.12...alternatives: Pedro Martinez and Steve Rogers
46 - Andy Petite wore 46 while being one of the core players of the Yankees last dynasty...alternatives: Lee Smith and Burt Hooton
47 - Tommy Glavine was the left-handed ace of a team that featured 3 Hall of Fame starting pitchers...alternatives: Jack Morris and Lee Smith
48 - Rick Reuschel wore a journeyman pitcher who often found himself leading pitching staffs for the Giants, Cubs, and the Pirates...alternatives: Waite Hoyt and Tori Hunter
49 - Ron Guidry led the Yankees' pitching staff during the World Series appearance in the '70s and '80s...Tim Wakefield, Tom Candiotti, and Charlie Hough
50 - Jaime Moyer wore this number while pitching up to age 49...alternatives: Adam Wainwright and J.R.Richard
51 - Randy Johnson is second all-time in strikeouts and had over 300 wins...alternatives: Ichiro Suzuki, Bernie Williams, Trevor Hoffman, and Willie McGee
52 - CC Sabathia wore this number while winning a Cy Young Award and being in the running for 4 others...alternatives: Yoenis Cespedes and Mike Boddicker
53 - Don Drysdale was a Hall of Famer overlooked because of Koufax...alternatives: Bobby Abreu and Joaquin Benoit
54 - Goose Gossage wore this number during the heart of his Hall of Fame career...alternatives: Aroldis Chapman and Ervin Santana
55 - Orel Hershiser broke the scoreless innings pitched streak while leading the Dodgers to their last World Series victory...alternatives: Kevin Appier and Russell Martin
56 - Mark Buerhle is the definition of an innings eater who led the White Sox to their last World Series victory...alternatives: Darren O'Day and Brian McCrae
57 - Johan Santana looked like a sure Hall of Famer until injuries knocked him down...alternatives: Francisco Rodriguez and John Smiley
58 - Jonathan Papelbon has made multiple all-star appearance while wearing this jersey number...alternatives: Doug Fister and Chad Billingsley
59 - Todd Jones wore this jersey number while closing for 7 different teams in his career...alternatives: Carlos Carrasco Ismael Valdez
60 - Dallas Keuchel won the Cy Young Award last season while sporting this jersey number...alternatives: Jon Rauch and Scott Schoeneweis
61 - Livan Hernandez was the Cuban born pitcher who put together some all-star worthy seasons...alternatives: Josh Beckett and Bronson Arroyo
62 - Scot Shields had a 3.18 career ERA over a 10 year career...alternatives: Joba Chamberlain and Bob Howry
63 - Rafael Betancourt had 31 saves for the Colorado Rockies in 2012...alternatives: Jake Diekman and Kevin Gregg
64 - Emilio Bonifacio...alternatives: Mike Fiers and A.J. Griffin
65 - Phil Hughes...alternatives: Nate Jones and Trevor May
66 - Juan Guzman...alternatives: Rick Ankiel and Gerry Staley
67 - Francisco Cordova...alternative: Dan Straily
68 - Dellin Betances...alternatives: Cam Bedrosian and Jorge Soler
69 - Bronson Arroyo (only player to wear this number for 3 or more seasons)
70 - George Kontos...alternative: Jumbo Diaz
71 - Scott Linebrink
72 - Carlton Fisk wore this jersey number as the catcher for the White Sox
73 - Ricardo Rincon
74 - Kenley Jensen
75 - Barry Zito wore this number while pitching for the A's and Giants...alternatives: Francisco Rodriguez and Alan Mills
76 - No players eligible for this number
77 - Reggie Willits...alternative: Jack Armstrong
78 - No players eligible for this number
79 - Jose Abreu
80-83 - No players eligible for these numbers
84 - Prince Fielder
85-87 - No players eligible for these numbers
88 - Rene Gonzalez...alternative: Kyle Blanks and Josh Outman
89-90 - No players eligible for these numbers
91 - Alfredo Aceves
92-95 - No players eligible for these numbers
96 - Bill Voiselle
97 - Joe Beimel
98 - No players eligible for this number
99 - Mitch Williams wore this number while he was the closer for the Philadelphia Phillies during their last World Series appearance...alternatives: Turk Wendell and Hyun-jin Ryu

Which Comic Book Character Should Have a TV Show or Movie

With a seemingly flood of comic book properties being made into movies and TV shows, it's easy for the non-comic book fan to think that everything has been made already. Not even close.

Back twenty years ago most of your comic book related media on television or on the big screen consisted of Superman and Batman along with some cartoons. Now cartoons helped convert many kids into comic book fans so they shouldn't be "poo-poo'ed", but live action grabs the attention of everyone.

With that said there could be a valid argument on which characters should get to be the next live action hero/villain. I present a list to you that would be my choices, but as every comic book fan knows, no two comic book fans will every agree one hundred percent to a list like this.


1. Zatanna : One of the most powerful sorceresses in the DC world, she has the ability to cast spells by saying what she wants backwards. There have been a few occasions where she didn't need to speak at all to cast a spell. A key member of Justice League Dark, she has gained even more popularity since the DC New 52 reboot.

From a storyline standpoint, a movie or television show writer can take her character in many directions. Exploring her storyline via her father John Zatara who was a world class magician, exploring the shared childhood her and Bruce Wayne shared, exploring the Justice League Dark angle along with the character John Constantine who gained a cult following with his recent television show, and even her rivalry with Catwoman over Bruce Wayne's affection.

Now in fairness, Zatanna has appeared as a live action hero already. She has appeared in three episodes of Smallville, but did not leave a real mark in the live action world. There are rumors of a Dark Universe movie being made around Justice League Dark as part of the DC movie extended universe, but Zatanna has not been confirmed yet to be in this movie. Her story is strong enough, thanks to the writings of Paul Dini, Peter Milligan, and Jeff Lemire, to become the star of her own stand-alone movie or television series.


2. Invincible : Not a DC or Marvel Comics character, Invincible is an Image Comics property who was created by legendary writer, Robert Kirkman. He's sort of a mix of a young Spider-Man personality and age wise, and Superman because of his strength, ability to fly, and alien origins.

What would be fun for a writer is that there is no hint of Invincible in a live action role. The direction a writer could take on this character is limitless because they wouldn't be handcuffed by past appearances of the character in other previous releases.

Mark Grayson, Invincible's name, is the young character that many hoped Spider-Man would be in the movies and tried to attempt with Toby Maguire. Hints of a team movie could also be made with Invincible because of the link he has with the Guardians of the Globe (a Justice League type of team). Invincible has declined membership, but a possible movie that contains the Guardians in a supporting role would only strengthen the character.


3. Voodoo : Originally a Wildstorm character, she was moved over into the DC Universe with the reboot. A human/Deamonite hybrid, she has the ability to shape shift and has the power of telepathy. Known as Priscilla Kitaen, she works as an exotic dancer as her human cover, so making a Voodoo movie or television show would probably have to be rated R or at the very least, released on Netflix.

She excels in hand-to-hand combat and espionage and with her ties to the Daemonites, she could be an intriguing character to write for considering that Superman has some interaction with the Daemonites post-reboot. Depending on how her character is written, she can also have the ability called "Sight" which allows her to spot the Daemonites posing as humans. This would open her character up to a WildC.A.T.s storyline before DC Comics retconned this. She has a large amount of play room to write with .



  4. Prowler : Originally a criminal with a high level of intelligence, Hobbie Brown changed sides after a confrontation with Spider-Man. He has no mutant abilities, but because of his ability to invent things, he's able to hold his own when confronted by those who do. In his regular life, he's a married man who doesn't live up to his potential. Even with his potential, he sticks to low-paying, blue collar work. He's taken up to freelancing for Silver Sable and has worked with the Outlaws.


5. Nightwing : Now this is sort of an odd one. Dick Grayson, Nightwing's secret alias has been in movies. He's appeared as Robin in the Batman '66 movie and in the Joel Schumacher directed Batman movies of the 1990's, but Grayson has never appeared in a live action movie as Nightwing. Batman's original protégé, Grayson grew up to become his own A-level superhero.

When the original 52 series occurred in 2006, Grayson stepped up in the DC Universe. When Bruce Wayne was thought to be dead, Grayson took the mantle of the bat and proved to be a great replacement and counter-balance to Damian Wayne's Robin. Out of any DC character, Grayson is the one that we all feel like we watched grow up and developed into a legitimate star.

If Bruce Wayne ever steps down from Batman, I feel that Grayson would be a great replacement, but in some ways I hope he remains Nightwing because he has developed so well as a character now.

6. Resurrection Man : Mitch Shelley has an interesting ability. He can die seemingly an infinite amount of times and because of nanites called "tektites" that flow through his body, he not only comes back to life, but he gains a new and different super power every time. This gives him the potential to be the strongest superhero in the DC Universe, but also gives him the potential to have a mundane power that isn't very helpful depending on the situations he finds himself in. He could be a good character to have in the Legends of Tomorrow television series since he has found himself at odds with Vandal Savage before, but it could be better to have him in a series run by Netflix. The ability to have a new superpower every episode could provide the good basis for each new episode.

1st Half Millhouse MLB Awards

Photo by Daniel Millhouse, taken June 14, 2016 in San Diego, CA
With half the season down in the history books for Major League Baseball it's that time of year to reflect back on what has transpired so far and award the Millhouse First Half Awards for the 2016 season. So let's take a look at who has done well so far in the year of Ichiro (now 10 hits away from 3,000 hits).

American League

MVP: Jose Altuve...Already considered one of the best second baseman in the last several years, Altuve was already revered for his high batting averages and large amounts of stolen bases. A top fifteen player for sure. Then he upped his game. He showed more power, hitting for more homers and RBI's than he ever had before. He's outplayed past MVP's such as Mike Trout and Bryce Harper this season. He's the American League MVP and he's barely 5'6". Runners up Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo, Nelson Cruz

Cy Young: Chris Sale...Half a season down and he's already racked up 14 wins, a sub 3.00 ERA, and over 100 strikeouts. All of this while playing for the White Sox. His strikeouts dropped a little this season, but he's still more dominant that anyone else in the league. Runners up Danny Salazar, Zach Britton, Cole Hamels

Rookie of the Year: Nomar Mazara...A year ago he wasn't considered the Rangers' top prospect, but he's played so well in his time in the Major League level that Joey Gallo is stuck. He's sported a .286 batting average with 11 homers so far. This has helped his team take the top of the American League West. Runners up Michael Fullmer, Tyler Naquin, Dae-Ho Lee

All Stars: C Salvador Perez, 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Jose Altuve, 3B Josh Donaldson, SS Manny Machado, OF Mike Trout, Ian Desmond, Mark Trumbo, DH Nelson Cruz

Surprise: Ian Desmond...Cast off from the Washington Nationals, Desmond signed with the Rangers just before Spring Training started. A shortstop his whole Major League career it was determined that he might have to switch to the outfield to scrounge for playing time. Since then he's hitting .321 and has 15 homeruns. Along with Mazara they are behind the turnaround for the Rangers this season. Runners up Eduardo Nunez, Danny Valencia, Jackie Bradley
Breakout: Jonathan Schoop...Full of potential, Schoop was on his way to a good year last before being injured. He's broke through this season. He's almost already matched his career high in homeruns and he's hitting .301. That's from a player that the roto magazines said would hit around .240.
Fireman: Zach Britton...Lefties aren't supposed to be closers, but the best one in the American League is a lefty. He's sporting a 0.80 ERA, a 0.77 WHIP, and 23 saves. This former starter is about as untouchable as a closer can get. Runners up David Robertson, Steve Cishek, Wade Davis

National League

MVP: Anthony Rizzo...A half a season in and he already has 20 homers and 61 RBI's. Add that to a .282 batting average and you've got first half MVP numbers. Runners up Nolan Arenado, Yoenis Cespedes, Daniel Murphy

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw...Now injured, Kershaw put up enough games to still be 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 145 strikeouts. He nearly has 17 strikeouts per base on balls too. Runners up Madison Bumgarner, Jake Arrieta, Drew Pomeranz

Rookie of the Year: Corey Seager...The preseason favorite, Kyle's little brother hit steadily and showed the pop that his big brother has. He's hit 17 homers and has a .305 batting average. Trevor Story looked like the early favorite when he blasted 7 homers in the first week of the season, but since then Story cooled off. Story has more homers than Seager, but only has a .264. Runners up Trevor Story, Steven Matz, Kenta Maeda

All Stars: C Wilson Ramos, 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Daniel Murphy, 3B Nolan Arenado, SS Jonathan Villar, OF Yoenis Cespedes, Ryan Braun, Carlos Gonzalez

Surprise: Jonathan Villar...A promising prospect with the Astros, Villar stole 18 bases in half of a season his rookie year. Given a shot to start, as a 23-year-old he hit only .209 and found himself in the doghouse. He hit .284 while barely being used last season, the Astros just gave up on him. As a 25-year-old he's finally blossoming as the Brewers' leadoff hitter. He has a .292 batting average and leads the National League in stolen bases. Runners up Wilson Ramos, Trevor Story, Melvin Upton Jr.
Breakout: Jonathan Villar...see above.
Fireman: Fernando Rodney...Rodney qualifies as a National League closer for now, but was just recently traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. Sporting a 0.3 ERA, he racked up 17 saves and a sup 1.00 WHIP with the San Diego Padres. He would have had more save opportunities if with a better team. Now a Ray, he's not even closing anymore. Runners up Kenley Jansen, Jeurys Familia, AJ Ramos

The Radio Experience is Dying

Photo by Daniel Millhouse
With technology advancing leaps and bounds on what seems like a yearly basis, one form of media that used to be considered the coolest of all, radio, is now dying and is unrecognizable compared to what it once was.

It took several decades for radio to hit it's peak, but once rock'n'roll gained popularity it seemed like it would never bottom out. Radio represented youthful rebellion to teenagers and college-aged kids.

Elvis.

Jerry Lee Lewis.

Little Richard.

It was the medium that reached out to the kids. They looked forward to listening to the radio to catch the newest hits. This was where radio DJ's gained celebrity status. They were the gatekeepers of "cool" for the youth. Their personalities were big and some DJ's such as Wolfman Jack became just as famous as many of the music artists they were playing.

In the last decade and a half, radio has seen rough times. A combination of new technology, streaming, and the deregulation of media have nearly killed off radio entirely.

With devices such as iPods and smart phones being produced, many people are turning to these devices for their entertainment needs. The rise of the computer hasn't helped either. Computers are now in nearly every household, and can store and play music easier than ever before.

What has hurt radio is the act of streaming. Not necessarily on the small scale it was a decade ago, but the way it is now with Pandora, Spotify, and iHeart radio. With services like this you can simply type in the name of an artist and listen to their music or the music of similar artists. You can do this for free as long as you listen to the occasional advertisement or pay a small amount of money to listen to your music commercial free.

The problem with this is that there are no DJ's. It's robot/computer controlled. The kids are missing out on the personalities that once hosted their favorite music and everything is becoming more generic. The fun is gone.

Also with streaming, you are now just a target to these large companies. A local DJ used to be able to play a local artist who might be performing somewhere nearby and talk about how you could see them if you liked the music. With streaming, you discover the music the corporations tell you to listen to. If you're lucky, you may get to listen to new music from a local artist to you, but most people aren't that lucky. Plus unless the artist advertises with the company, then you won't know where to find them unless you search for them yourself online which most kids don't do while listening to streaming music.

Streaming on the internet didn't initially start off as a bad thing either. Radio stations such as KRock-Echo gained the attention of a million plus listeners a month, remaining commercial free in the process, and having world famous DJ, Scott Free, host the music. He played new artists, independent labels, and songs by artists that were great, but not necessarily their hit songs that the labels picked out for you to listen on mainstream radio. This had the feeling of early rock'n'roll radio in the fifties mixed with new technology. Unfortunately this didn't last long.

Radio lost it's soul. AOL Music, Pandora, and other streaming services ditched DJ's shortly after the United States deregulated media, forcing thousands of DJ's out of work.

When radio deregulated, it was the death knell for DJ's. Many stations would lose their flair, robotizing their on-air play and eventually homogenizing music as a whole. For kids today to discover new music, a major corporation would either have to tell you what to listen to or the kid would have to do some work and find the new artist they don't know exists yet. Most kids won't do the legwork though. They rely on entities such as American Idol and The Voice to tell them who the good, new artists are.

Technology is a good thing. When it advances, it usually improves the quality of humanity's life. Unfortunately radio is one of the casualties and kids will never know again what it's like for radio to become an experience, not just background music while they do their chores or homework.

Greatest Baseball Announcer of All-Time

Picture: Screencap of Bob Uecker (left) as seen in the movie Major League
The love of baseball has led to many debates over the years. Who was the best pitcher of all-time? Which team is the best to ever step foot onto the field? What rules are pieces of...well you get the point. But one of the aspects of the game that many fans have an opinion of, but rarely get in debates about is--who is the best announcer the game has every had. Well, I give you a count down of the best announcers currently in the game.

5. Jack Buck : Famous for being the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals, some of Buck's most famous calls include Ozzie Smith's game winning homer in the deciding game of the 1985 NLCS (viewable in the clip below), Kirby Puckett's game 6 homer in the 1991 World Series, and Kirk Gibson's historic game 1 homer in the 1988 World Series. His voice talents have led to his induction in multiple Halls of Fame: National Baseball Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, the National Radio Hall of Fame, and in the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum. In total he covered 18 Super Bowls and 11 World Series.



4. Mel Allen : Most famous for making the famous home run call when the Pittsburgh Pirates' Bill Mazeroski hit the homer in game 7 to end the World Series, Allen was the premier play-by-play man for the Yankess in the heart of some of their best seasons. He was known as the best of his profession in the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's, he's still known as the "Voice of the New York Yankees." As baseball gained more and more air time on television, he became even more famous for being the original host of This Week in Baseball which he hosted from 1977 until he passed away in 1996. To cap off his career he was also the very first recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award in 1978.



3. Ernie Harwell : A baseball announcer for 55 seasons, Harwell is most widely known for his work as the announcer for the Detroit Tigers. He was so good at what he did that he became the only announcer that was involved in a trade when the Brooklyn Dodgers' Branch Rickey traded a catcher to the Atlanta Crackers in return for Harwell's contract. He only announced for the Dodgers for two seasons before eventually finding his way to the Detroit Tigers in 1960. He announced for them for 31 years before management decided to let him go in 1991. He called for the California Angels in 1992, but because of the outcry by Detroit fans and a new ownership change, Harwell was brought back to the Tigers in 1993 until 2002.



2. Vin Scully : Scully holds the record for longest tenure with a single team, announcing for the Dodgers since 1950 during their days in Brooklyn. He called Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series, Hank Aaron's 715th homer, and Bill Buckner's famous error in the 1986 World Series. Considered the gold standard, Scully signature introduction to games may be the most famous in sports, "It's time for Dodger baseball! Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be." Joining the Dodgers when he was only 23, Scully was a pupil of fellow legendary announcer, Red Barber. An odd note about Scully is that for many years he had not attended a baseball game that he was not the announcer for. It wasn't until 2004 when he and then Dodgers owner Frank McCourt attended a game together in Boston.



1. Bob Uecker : Originally a former catcher for the Cardinals, Braves, and Phillies, Uecker was a man of many abilities. He was a comedian and frequent guest of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, spokesman for Miller Lite, starring actor in movies and television shows such Mr. Belvedere, and obviously the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971 to present day. He wasn't the greatest catcher when he played, leading the National League in passed balls in 1967 despite playing only 59 games. This was partially due to catching knuckleball legend Phil Niekro in which Uecker was quoted as saying, "The best way to catch a knuckleball was to wait until it stopped rolling and pick it up."

After retiring from Major League Baseball in 1967, Uecker found himself doing comedy in 1969 which led to his over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show where he would often go on just to entertain Johnny Carson instead of trying to plug something he was doing. Carson dubbed Uecker with his nickname, Mr. Baseball. His comedic abilities led to his being hired by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1971 which he still does to this day.

A likable personality, he would go on to be a spokesperson for Miller Lite which would then lead him to a career in acting. He played George Owens on Mr. Belvedere which was a sitcom that aired on ABC for 6 seasons. He would also be known for his role as Harry Doyle, the announcer of the Cleveland Indians in the Major League trilogy of movies. Not one to shy away from TV, he also hosted two separate shows about the lighter side of sports and even participated in the WWE's (then the WWF) WrestleMania III as an announcer and WrestleMania IV as an announcer and backstage interviewer who was choked by Andre the Giant. Even the WWE placed Uecker in their very own Hall of Fame.

Not to be outdone, Uecker authored two autobiographies, Catcher in the Wry and Catch 222. He was honored by the Brewers with a statue outside Miller Park alongside Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, and former owner Bud Selig. In 2003, Uecker was also awarded the Ford C. Frick Award.

People Like Feeling Angry

 "We hate love,        We love hate,"   Marilyn Manson  Usually when I write something on here, it's in third person or closer to a news article style of writing. In this case, this is more opinion based and I don't have a wealth of studies or polls to back my writing up. Agree or disagree, it's up to you, but be kind in the comments.  America has thrived over the years of being a country of hope and happiness. There have been time periods where fear has been sprinkled in the mix such as the 1950's after the USSR launched Sputnik into space.   In recent years though, there has been a shift in the mentality of people. Maybe it's because the online/internet persona of hiding behind keyboards has risen from the anonymity to the real world or maybe it's just something that we as a country were destined to evolve to. The world is following as well.  The mentality has shifted into anger. People seem to love being angry now. Many will actually seek it out through their actions. Instead of finding ways to become happier through their actions or through other means, people will find ways to intentionally spread hatred and angst among their fellow man.  The most prominent place that people attack others is on the internet. The act has become so common that it has been given a name...trolling. People will purposely start fights on the internet, often on social media or message boards with the intention of angering others and in turn becoming even more angry themselves. People look forward to doing this on a daily basis. They look forward to fighting and in the process becoming angrier themselves. If they didn't like fighting and the anger that comes from it, then why do it? The same thing happens in person now. At baseball games for example there have always been fans of opposing sides attending, but other then some banter, there was no worries of leaving the stadium on a stretcher. A San Francisco Giants fan named Brian Stowe wore his team's apparel found out the hard way that in some stadiums this is no longer the case. Dodgers fans nearly beat him to death for just being a fan of their rival. The same happens all the time now at soccer events. There are actually gangs associated with Argentina soccer teams that seek to hurt and even kill opposing fans at matches.  Obviously this has carried over into politics as well and there are still hate groups out there that have existed for years, but the number of people who appear to love to hate have risen to what now seems like the majority.  America needs to change. The world needs to change. Hate and anger are strong emotions, but in the end can't be fulfilling. When was it that people forgot this simple piece of knowledge?

Take a Moment on Memorial Day

Photo of Arlington National Cemetery posted on Wikipedia and taken by J.D. Leipold 
With Memorial Day around the corner it's time to take at least a moment in between your barbeques, furniture shopping, or getaways to the beach and give thanks for those who died in battle on behalf of America. Soldiers have given so much to the country that they should be recognized for what they do especially when it costs them their very lives. This is why it's the duty of our politicians to be cautious.

Cautious?

Yes, cautious. With wars going on around the world and 24/7 news coverage, it's easy for our own politicians to feel the need to intervene. Whether it's for personal gain coming for lobbyists or for genuine sympathy toward those who are going through tough times across the world, sending American soldiers should be the last resort option.

Young men and women usually just out of high school or college volunteer to protect their country. If the United States is under attack on our home soil then there shouldn't be a second thought about deploying our soldiers. If it is to intervene with another country and their war torn situation, sending out troops should be handled with care.

Have an exit strategy. Don't jump in every war possible. Make sure that at least one of the sides wants us there in the first place.

It's hard enough entering another country under a less than ideal situation, but when it's in a no win situation for anyone including our own soldiers then they're putting their own lives on the line for no reason.

Now there have been justifiable situations to intervene oversees in the past. Obviously World War II to stop Hitler was a good reason to get involved in Europe; going to war with Japan was a no-brainer since they attacked Pearl Harbor.

The problem is nowadays we get 24/7 news coverage of any remotely negative situation in the world and there is always a politician that wants to get involved. If it is to help the people who are under attack then the urge to help is honorable, but shouldn't be considered automatic. The United States military is not the police force of the world. Sending our own troops to intervene without being able to permanently fix the situation, or worse leaving the country in poorer condition than when we enter means we shouldn't get involved. Especially when the problem is localized.

Some may see this as cold-blooded, but if our soldiers volunteer to put their lives on the line for our country then our politicians have the responsibility to only put their lives in harm's way in extreme cases. Not for the hell of it and not for the profit of a weapons manufacture.

So enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend. Just take that moment whether it's internally or publicly to give those who have died in battle thanks.

Frontier Communications Fail

Companies merge all the time. It's almost the way of American business life. As a successful company you either rise high enough to buy out other companies or you get just big enough to attract the interest of your competitors, getting yourself bought out in the process. Many times both can occur.

One of the largest mergers this year is that of Frontier Communications who bought out Verizon FiOS. Unfortunately for those who had the cable television and internet service from FiOS, your plan took a giant dump on you.

Internet speeds cut in half, channels disappearing, the inability to access video-on-demand channels, and more, all the while charging customers equal or even higher prices than before the merger. It has even been common for them to acknowledge that they are overcharging and insist that you have to call them on a monthly basis to "adjust" the costs to where they should properly be.

Is this wrong? Of course.

What's the reason though? Could it be a disregard for their customers? At this point this appears to be a growing possibility as they have still yet to fix many of their problems. Could it be greed? Maybe...for every customer they overcharge, it only means more money in their bank account. Short term this might benefit them, but this discredits them as a company in the long term and causes the migration of their customers to competitors such as Time Warner.

Some customers have seen the wrong packages appear on their bills. Pre-merger they had 2 television package plans only to find that post-merger it shows they have 3 television plans. Where does Frontier believe these accounted for boxes came from? They don't have serial numbers for the third box. Yet, they are willing to argue that they are in fact the ones in the right.

Many people have spent money purchasing digital versions of movies from FiOS that they can access anytime they want. After the merger though, these purchases disappeared and even the free video-on-demand content such as missed television shows were no longer available. Just for the "free" content the average customer pays anywhere from $6 to $10 a month. It didn't matter that none of the FiOS customers could access this, Frontier still charged away knowing they were in the wrong. Their customer reps will tell you it's your responsibility to call in monthly to fix this. Why can't they charge correctly the first time around?

Even if you were willing to call in monthly or reach Frontier via their internet chat option, it takes forever to get help. On the phone, customers have complained that it has taken several hours of waiting just to finally talk to a rep and that's not taking in account if they are even able to fix your problem (or willing to).

Some mergers have bumpier roads than others, but the merger between Verizon FiOS and Frontier has been one giant nightmare. I myself was a customer of FiOS for 5 years...the key word is WAS as I will be switching to another cable and internet provider this very week.