Stealing Home: "A drinking town with a baseball problem"

It was getaway day in the Gateway City and, on the St. Louis leg of #TBRTOAL, while sitting inside beautiful new Busch Stadium, I was reminded just how much fun weekday afternoon baseball can be.

Read all about my visit to Anheuser-Busch country, and about my chats with passionate Cardinals fans about Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols, at GlobeSports.com.

And you can take a look at my pictures from St. Louis here.

Stealing Home: My very own Brew Crew

Beer, brats and baseball. That's the Milwaukee Brewers experience, in a nutshell. And it's every bit as fantastic as it sounds.

Read all about it at GlobeSports.com.

I'm on the most intense leg of #TBRTOAL right now; 9 games in 11 nights. I just arrived in Houston. Astros tonight, Arlington tomorrow, and Phoenix on Sunday. We're just about to hit the home stretch ...

Stealing Home: The Throwback

"The Friendly Confines" on the north side of Chicago; Wrigley Field, baseball's ultimate cathedral. Probably the best one yet on #TBRTOAL.

My brother came down from Toronto to join me. He brought his passport. To the game. Read how important that decision turned out to be, and what makes Wrigley Field so special, at GlobeSports.com.

And, on a non-#TBRTOAL related note, but still with baseball: Playoffs!!!1

Sports And The City: Bangalore

I'm sitting at NASA, "Bangalore's Hi-Tech Beer Club," watching test cricket between India and Australia. It's happy hour; my beer costs less than $1. I'm eating fiery chicken tikka. "Every step you take" by Sting is playing through the bar's speakers. You thought I was kidding about the tacky music, didn't you? Anyway, if I resided in Bangalore, this is what Sports And The City would be like. Sehwag and Karthik are batting for India. Subcontinent, represent!!1

I won't be able to watch tonight's game between Canada and the USA. Internet cafe owners have flashed me ridiculous looks when I ask if they'll be open at 6 AM. More ridiculous than the looks I already get.

But it's all good. I'm not exactly concerned over the outcome. Gold!!1

I'm working my way south (giggity), and am off to Ooty, tomorrow it seems.

Cheers, from NASA.

Sunday Night Football

Greetings from the Indian subcontinent. Candolim beach in northern Goa, to be exact. The weather and surroundings are beautiful here. I'm making a point to enjoy both for each and every one of you.

I trust you spent your Sunday night watching football. I certainly did. On two giant projection screens. But not the game you're thinking of; Chelsea vs. Arsenal. The J29 Sports Bar here in Candolim was filled with English and Russian tourists, taking in the Premiership clash. Upon entering the outdoor restaurant, a gentlemen stopped me dead in my tracks: "You want to bet on the game, mate?" Don't mind if I do. I dropped 100 rupees on a 2-1 Chelsea final, with 6-1 odds. The restaurant's bookie had three pages of odds, from everything to the first shot, first goal, and even first team to hit the woodwork. Clearly, J29 was my type of place.

Thanks to Petr Cech, my bet was a losing one. But I can't be mad. Not at a superb goaltender. Cech is so good I almost want to become a Chelsea supporter. It was 100 rupees, or $2.44, well spent.

Speaking of 100 rupees, that's how much a 551 ml bottle of Kingfisher Indian beer goes for. Again, $2.44 very well spent. As a child, the beauty of visiting India was that it meant as much Coke, Sprite and Limca the heart could desire. Anything but water. As an adult, it's even better. Beer, beer, and more beer. Safety first, right?

And, you guessed it, "Kingfisher" is the first Indian word you need to learn. Practice makes perfect. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Back to the footy match, for a second. The Arsenal/Chelsea rivalry, and the fact that it transcends borders, only drives home the point that Toronto needs another ice hockey team. If the greater London area sports five teams in the Premiership, it's absolutely absurd that only one hockey team calls Toronto home. Yes, this is where you throw in your "And they're barely a hockey team!!!1" joke. Thanks.

And Didier Drogba. Jeez. Twelve games vs. Arsenal, and 12 goals to his name, after two Sunday night. Quite the performance, especially the second marker, coming off his left foot. Drogba's Arsenal's daddy.

Some final thoughts before I leave you:

• In 76 starts over the past two seasons with Toronto, Vesa Toskala posted two shutouts. In two starts in one week as a Maple Leaf, J.S. Giguere has done the same. The Leafs have already won this trade.
• My man Ian from The Blue Jay Hunter will be picking up the slack for me while I'm gone, and running the Vernon Wells Hatred Advisory System once baseball gets going. I imagine the hatred levels will be elevated as soon as spring training begins. The pressure will be on Wells from the get go. Remember: please don't boo him at the Dome. Give him a chance. Believe, dammit.

Until we meet again ...

A Tale of Three GMs; Part III: Brian Burke

This:

"I told the players you should care about winning as much as I do or you'll play somewhere else."

About the playoffs (!!1):

"That's our goal. It's our intention to reach that goal and we believe we have the talent to get there."

That. Those quotes. Above. That's why Brian Burke is the perfect man to be leading the Toronto Maple Leafs. The GM should want it just as bad as the fans do.

Burke's perfect. If he adds Phil Kessel without trading Tomas Kaberle, and/or a first round draft pick, I will seriously begin to - you guessed it - plan the parade.

Can you recall a training camp and pre-season in recent memory that you were so excited about?

I didn't think so.

No More Bets

Watching six hours of televised Toronto Blue Jays baseball in succession is in no way, shape, or form good for you. It is not recommended. Four hours has got to be the legal limit when viewing Toronto's average baseball team, and listening to the dynamic duo of Jamie Campbell and Rance Mulliniks.

The 2009 ballclub has been difficult to watch. I believe the term "soul crushing" is the one most bandied about. Unfortunately for me, they're about to inflict more damage. On my wallet. Bets of $100, $50, and a steak dinner (at Mendy's), are on the line.

Bet #1: Sure, my man Stephen Amell is about to hit the road for Hollywood, but that doesn't mean we no longer have a wager ($100 and an autograph from Mike Wilner) to settle. You remember: eight categories, over/under, seven worth one point, wins worth two points; highest total score takes it.

1. Wins - over/under 80.5 (worth two points):

After dropping both games of the doubleheader, the Jays are 59-72; playing .450 baseball. In order to get to the magical .500 mark, to 81 wins, Toronto must win 22 of their final 31 games; they must play .710 baseball.

I'm clearly still in this one. Nil-nil. (Yes, I am.)

2. Vernon Wells games played - over/under 125.5:

Staying healthy is about the only thing Wells has been able to accomplish this season. He's played 128 games. Chalk one up for the good guy. And, Vernon: "Congratulations on a job ... done." One-nothing, eyebleaf.

3. Home opener attendance - over/under 49,500:

I lost this one months ago; 1-1.

4. Roy Halladay wins - over/under 17.5:

I cannot fucking believe this one is in jeopardy. Since coming off the disabled list June 29th, Halladay has gone 3-7, with two no-decisions. And, I'm sorry, but the "rattled by trade rumours" excuse doesn't fly with me. Doc's a pro athlete, and makes millions of dollars. It's part of the business. Deal with it. And this after years of everyone lauding him as the most mentally prepared pitcher they'd ever seen.

Doc hasn't pitched well of late. He'd be the first to admit it. What's worse: he's not throwing his best pitch. If he's hurt, he shouldn't be pitching. If he's not, has he quit on his team? I shudder to think.

Doc's got about six starts left. I'm not ready to concede this point to SA just yet.

5. Combined HRs Lyle Overbay & Scott Rolen - over/under 35.5:

Rolen's back off the disabled list down in Cincinnati, and has hit one HR in 13 games; none since returning from injury. On the season, he's got nine. The power is gone. Platoon player Overbay (thanks Cito) has hit 13. I concede this one; 2-1, Stephen.

6. Alex Rios Home Runs - over/under 22.5:

In 16 games with Chicago, Rios is hitting .167/.177/.283. That's a laughable .461 OPS. Change has not been kind to Alex. He's stuck on 15 HRs, and went yard three times in June, July, and August. I've no reason to believe he'll hit eight the rest of the way, but that's never stopped me before. Two-one Stephen, three categories in question.

7. B.J. Ryan Saves - over/under 31.5 games:

Old wounds. It's hard to believe the man is no longer even in the pros. Three-one, Stephen.

8. 2009 SkyDome attendance - over/under 2,000,000:

According to ESPN, Toronto is averaging 23,904 fans a game; good for 23rd in the league. (According to The Globe and Mail, that same number ranks them 29th. I'm not sure how that works, but that's neither here nor there.) After 66 games, 1,577,729 have passed through the SkyDome's turnstiles.

With 15 games left to play at dome, if the Jays continue to meet their average of 23,904, they'll finish the season at 1,936,289. (Way to pick the line, SA, you jerk.) However, four of the 15 games are against the New York Yankees, three of them this upcoming long Labour Day weekend. Help a brother out, upstate New Yorkers. This one's still in play.

In closing: it's 3-1 Stephen. All I need is for the Jays to play .710 baseball the rest of the way, for Roy Halladay to win all his remaining starts, for Alex Rios to hit eight home runs, and for the Jays to average 28,152 fans in September. Good luck the rest of the way, and in Hollywood, SA.

(I'm fucked.)

Bet #2: Using the line Stephen set for wins, over/under 80.5, renowned Blue Jays hater PPP took the under. Only $50 is on the line, but this one hurts. For some sick, twisted reason, PPP enjoys nothing more than the suffering of Blue Jays fans. It's not even about the money. I'd simply rather not give him the satisfaction. Here's hoping Cito's got another 10-game win streak up his sleeve. Although even that probably won't be enough. Fuck. While that 27-14 start sure was enjoyable, it's causing much heartache months later.

Bet #3: I know the one and only Baltimore Orioles fan who lives in Toronto. Quite well, actually. As a matter of fact, when it comes to baseball, we have a lot in common. We're both in very abusive relationships. Anyway, we got creative on this one; you have to when each party supports a terrible team. The parameters: if the Orioles finish the season within 3.5 games of the Blue Jays (or better, but let's be serious...), I'm paying at Senior's. Four games back or more, and TOBOF (Toronto's Only Baltimore Orioles Fan) is footing the bill.

Heading into Wednesday, Baltimore trails Toronto by six. I may be out $150 come October 5th, but I'm quite certain I'll be eating well shortly thereafter.

Of course, none of the above has stopped me from trying to make things a little more ... interesting. My luck is bound to change.

Bet #4: I've got a two-four on the line with Burgundy from Stay Classy that the Toronto Maple Leafs will finish higher in the standings than the Ottawa Senators this season. I've cashed that cheque already.

Baseball and my Dad ...

My father is no sports fan. The furthest thing from it, actually. He's got no time for sports; never has, never will. And that's cool.

Dad grew up in India. Sure, he played some cricket in his day, but he didn't have the New Delhi Nuggets to cheer for, watch on the television every night, and read about in the newspaper the next day. Dad grew up in a different time, a different place.

As young kids in Toronto, my older brother and I were smitten over baseball. We treasured our Blue Jays. Loved them. With every ounce of our being. Dad didn't get it, but he sure as hell supported our passion. Back in the early 90s, we, a family of four, would head down to the SkyDome, 500 level tickets in hand, numerous times a season. Thinking back, one of the most exciting days of the year was when we received a letter in the mail from the Toronto Blue Jays, asking us to select which games we'd be attending that season.

Over the years, we went to a lot of games with Dad. While he never took a liking to the team, or the game, he did love one part of being in attendance in the summertime: the SkyDome. A civil engineer by trade, Dad marveled at the stadium's technology. (Classic immigrant story: Dad's education, from the best institution in India, wasn't recognized in Canada.) Sometimes I wished for the Dome to be closed mid-game, just so he could see the roof in action.

Dad also loved the wave. He'd sit back and watch in amazement as 45,000 fans rose, section by section, when it was their turn.

To this day, what I love about Major League Baseball in the fine city of Toronto is its affordability. A man can take his family of four down to the ball park, feed them, and not have to worry about the next mortgage payment, or the next rent cheque. Unbeknownst to me as an oblivious youth, there were times when Dad's wallet wasn't as fat as it is today. But he never let me or my brother find out. The last thing he was going to do was take baseball away from us. Now, years later, I want him to know just how much I appreciated that.

Thank you, Dad. Thanks for the trips down to the stadium, the program my brother could keep score in, the hot dogs, the nachos, and the soft-serve ice cream cones from the truck after the game. Looking back, I'm sure there were times Dad could have said no to the program, or to the hot dogs, so he could have had a beer. But he never did; he never said no.

It didn't matter to Dad that he could have cared less whether Robbie Alomar, my most-favourite player in the whole wide world, had a good game or not. Or whether the Jays got the win. But I know in my heart that he hoped Alomar would perform, and that the Jays would win. So his boys could ride the subway back up north with a smile on their faces.

Thank you, Dad. You are an inspiration. Every single day. Happy Father's Day.

This Is Our House, and Yes Man U!

What a difference a year makes for the boys down at BMO Field. After last night's 1-0 victory over DC United, the local football heroes are undefeated in six games and making their way up the Major League Soccer standings.

I took in the action yesterday and it was a wet and chilly night. Not exactly end of May weather, but nothing really surprises me anymore when it comes to the temperature around these parts. As a Torontonian my toque is always ready, eh. And I forgot all about the rain and nippy-ness after a few beers.

So, how about Toronto FC? Things have certainly changed since they were bitch slapped 4-1 by DC United back on April 5th. They haven't lost since. The team is winning games, scoring goals, and, much like the "This Is Our House!" chant that filled the air last night, dominating at home.

With a 4-2-2 record TFC sits in fourth place in the Eastern Division. More impressive is the fact that they opened up the season with back-to-back losses. They wrapped up a beauty of a homestand last night with a 3-0-2 record, outscoring the opposition five-to-one in the five games.

Rewind to last year when TFC couldn't score - 25 goals in 30 games - and won only six games all season. It's like night and fucking day. Eight games into this campaign and TFC already has four victories and nine goals. Needless to say, the addition of cats like Amado Guevara and Laurent Robert have been huge.

And how about that Danny Dichio fellow? He's fun to watch on the tube but you really come to appreciate him after you watch him play live. He's all over the pitch. He scored the lone goal last night in the seventh minute, made a wonderful defensive play to save a goal in the 64th minute, and was throwing elbows all game long. To say he's "physical" out there is an obese understatement. It's no wonder Dichio is already a Toronto folk legend and revered by TFC fans. He's a blue collar guy and this city quickly falls in love with his type.

If you haven't been down to BMO Field to check out some hot, steamy TFC action, what the hell are you waiting for? The atmosphere is great. Passionate fans, colourful chants, flying streamers, and, as the cherry on top, an improved product on the field.

My only complaint? The MLSE standard $9.25 can of Carlsberg. That's robbery. Grab a few pints before the game or be smart in life and sneak in a mickey.

Before I go, I've got to show some love to my other boys, the Red Devils of Manchester United. European champions once again, please! Thankfully I was able to catch the game at work, and it was a beauty. For the record, I hate penalty kicks. My heart skipped a beat when John Terry's attempt to seal the deal for Chelsea nicked the post and went wide. I wonder how many drinks it took the poor guy to get some sleep last night. The woodwork was certainly not kind to the Blues yesterday.

And does it get much dumber than Didier Drogba's antics? While his little slap to the face of Vidic wasn't Zidane-like crazy, it was enough to get him red carded. And if Drogba's still in the game he's definitely one of Chelsea's five penalty takers, likely keeping Terry out of the box. What a shame!

The "double" is complete. "Glory, glory Man United." Indeed.