FAT-ELVIS baseball collective

the fab four.  the kids from liverpool.  i can still hear the tv replays (because i wasn’t born yet) of ed sullivan making the announcement, “ladies and gentlemen … the Beatles”.  to many people, one of the greatest bands to ever take the stage.  their music carries on, covered by many popular artists even 50 years later.  FIFTY YEARS!!

i’m in that group, but i don’t think they’re one of the best bands ever. i think they ARE the best band ever.  they weren’t the greatest of musicians, but they knew how to craft a melody and align the lyrics that would turn the music world on it’s ear.  elvis may be the king of rock and roll, but the Beatles are the ones that solidified it’s position and then elevated the overall music quality.

elvis hit with a splash and brought about a lot of flash in the pan artists, but when the beatles came along, rock-n-roll was in a funk.  elvis was in the army and music nearly sucked.  the Beatles brought in their version of what america’s rock had started and took it to a whole new dimension.  if you’re not quite believing me yet, take a good hard look at rock-n-roll from 1960 until the Beatles hit the scene in america.  BORING.

while they may not have been the best musicians, i think we all owe george martin a huge thanks for getting ringo.  they were a big local band with pete best, but i don’t know they would have reached their pinacle with him as drummer.  not that ringo was great by any stretch, but he was better than best, pun definitely intended.

i stumbled across this little pie chart nugget this morning which is what prompted this Beatles post.  it’s a poignant reminder of how the Beatles approached all of their lives: with a simplistic humor that was immensely contagious to all of their listeners.

i’ve told my kids thousands of times not to do drugs.  i would never tell them otherwise.  but i always thought the Beatles music took a significant upturn when they progressed from the “gateway” drugs into the harder stuff.  it’s amazing they escaped from this era with their minds somewhat in tact.  many of the late 60s music stars lost their lives, figuratively and literally, in the world of substance abuse that is so deeply intertwined in all of rock music.

there are some who just don’t care about the Beatles or their music.  i don’t trust those folks.  they’re either idiots or egomaniacs proving themselves by standing against the tide.  i’m not one who encourages following for following’s sake, but the Beatles really did put out great music.  it’s been re-created by modern musicians in every flavor of music and regardless of style, it’s still magnetic.

while paul may have been lost in the world of silly love songs john was lost in some ethereal utopian dream.  both of their music lived well beyond the groups disbanding (curse you, yoko!).  george and ringo did ok on their own, but it was paul who continued to hit the charts with Wings and then with his solo stuff.

paul will always be my favorite musical artist and it’s amazing to me that he charges into his latter 6th decade with a zeal for writing and performing still.

NOW, what does all of this have to do with the FEBC?  well, nothing really.  but there was a time when we almost went a different route.  instead of the Fat Elvis Baseball Collective, we were almost the Beatles League.  the thought behind it was (tongue in cheek) there would be four divisions, just like the Beatles when they broke up.  instead, the FEBC is now in it’s 12th season and the Beatles are playing on my iPod rather than in a baseball league.

-chief

it’s getting here very quickly.  just four more days until the FEAT.  i can honestly tell you that i’m NOT ready.  not anywhere close.  by the time it gets here, though, i should be.  i don’t have that many places to fill … or that much money to spend.  the Tigers will be looking toward the future when they make their bids.  this year could be a rough one, but it’s not all a loss.  not yet.  anything can happen.  deals could be made after the FEAT closes and the salary cap opens up some.  but the Tigers are feeling like this is more of a rebuilding year.

Jeter, Wright, Castillo help anchor the infield.  we’re hoping Soto bounces back and that Rajai Davis stays consistent.  the rotation and bullpen are iffy at best.  the majority of games we win this year will be from our hitting, not our pitching.  and our hitting has it’s sketchy moments.  catcher is weak this year.  and there are really no solid guys in the corner spots of the outfield.  first base is non-existent at the moment and will be one of the areas the Tigers try to fix for the next several years.  in hindsight, trading Chamberlain and Votto for Teixeira and Hamels was a mistake.  we probably would have made the playoffs anyway and then this season would have been better off.  we would have had a firstbaseman still and since we didn’t have the money to justify extending Hamel’s contract we’d be in a slightly weaker position with pitching, but more money to work with overall.  ahhh, the follies of the Tupelo franchise continue.

-chief

and i’m NOT prepared.  i’ve got too many forks in the fire right now and i’m seeing myself slipping up.  things falling through the cracks, as it were.  and it’s not just the FEBC (though there is some of that), but work, life, free lance, kids, etc, etc.  it’s all hitting around the same time.

it’s times like this i’m reminded just how great it is to have 15 other guys in this league taking ownership and double checking my work.  they do it for their own benefit, but the benefit is really mine.  without their eyes, something would get dropped and we’d realize it mid-season and there would be a scandal.

i need another snow day or two.

-chief

we don’t get snow in texas that often. once every year or two (or three). most of the time we’ll get one ice storm a year. it’ll hit late at night, close down most offices and schools and then be gone my noon. so the entire town will shut down because of a ten hour icing.

this past weekend was different. it was raining late wednesday night. by thursday morning it was snow. it snowed all day. half way thru the day the schools closed. by nightfall it was still snowing and the schools had closed the next day. our office was still open, but i’d be able to work from home which would give me a lot more flexibility with my schedule. work stuff, league stuff, the more work, then some league stuff to break up the monotony.

so with all this extra time, i got a chance to really delve into the website.  this new program has been time consuming to learn, but i’m already seeing the dividends of quick updates.  i was hoping that would be the case.  so even if it looks like this outside, i should be able to stay current AND have a life.

-chief

i’m on vacation.  each morning i wake up long before the mrs and start working on the website.  i’ve run into snag after snag.  part of it is learning this new online software.  the other part is just plain quirkiness with my computer.  it’s been frustrating.  so once a day i venture into the swamps of this thing and start trying to find my way back out.  usually one or two times a day i’ll find an answer.  slowly it’s all coming together.  then i realize just how much more there is to go and i start to get the shakes.

it’s going to come together.  and after i get some of these basic pages done, the rest should start filling in quickly.  the most troublesome part seems to be behind me, well, maybe except the computer itself which goes into think mode and i’m doubting it’s really doing that at all.  i think it’s taking a coffee break or a nap, or maybe it’s twiddling it’s proverbial software thumbs.  but it’s definitely not running full speed.  i guess that’s what happens when you’re running some memory intensive software on a computer that’s nearly four years old.  that’s 37 in computer years, or something like that.

today i found a major break through on the team’s pages.  i kept fiddling with mine until i got it where it needed to be.  in the back of my mind i was also trying to make sure there would be a simple system for updating the pages quickly.  honestly, i didn’t find the one i wanted.  at this point it’s probably an hour process.  i’d rather it be the 10 minute process.  but even the newer way will be faster than the 6 hour process i was dealing with before.  it got where by mid year i was tired of killing 6 hours when i could be doing something more entertaining like watching paint dry or celery growing hair.

i’m pretty sure i can speed it up even more than that, though i’ll have to talk to some software and web design gurus at work.  that won’t happen this week as i’m on vacation in rochester, ny and am not about to spend much more of my day trying to figure it out.  it’s already been 2 hours and my better half is nearly ready to walk out the door.  good thing it only takes me 15 minutes to shower and dress.  now if i could just get the web pages to update that fast.

-chief

Tupelo, MS — A press conference was called early Tuesday morning in Tupelo.  Trading had just opened in the Fat Elvis, after the scorched earth and winter meeting processes.  Would a big name be leaving the confines of Tupelo?  Would a big name be coming to the small market ball club?  The folks from Tupelo vacated the Piggly Wiggly, J-Don’s Automart, and [local favorite] Fried PBJ Diner and gathered at the town square.  Anticipation was on all the faces as people who had come from all localities; Plantersville, Belden, Indian Hills, Frog Island, Netleton, and even a couple from Woodland. 

Tupelo Fan, Walter M. had this to say, “It’s difficult to see a team that we love struggle for three or four years finally get a chance only to be booted from the playoffs.  I hope we don’t have to wait another four years to get back.” 

Owner, Rick Queary, finally came to the microphones.  “Thank you for being here this morning.  Over the years we’ve had some good seasons.  We’ve also endured some hard times.  During the last few months we’ve tried to address things that can or should be done.  While the online approach we started about three years ago is working, we also feel the need to adjust the image of the organization.  

“With that being said, the Eagles have, continued to struggle against the image of the down-and-out franchise of our past.  While we continue to improve in many areas, it’s the long-term image we want to change.  Winning will be a huge part of that and we’re committed deeply to that endeavor.  At the same time, we must shed the perception of our past.  We are trying to redefine ourselves.  

“Starting in 2010, the team will no longer be called the Tupelo Eagles.  While the bird is an emblem of freedom and strength, we want to be known for our aggressive and tenacious approach to winning.  We want other teams and cities to view our team as one that must be contended.  I would like to introduce you to your city’s new mascot and team name: The Tupelo Tigers.  Thank you, thank you very much.”