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Results tagged ' Crooked Nuggets '
Crooked Nuggets: August 2014
I have safely returned from my latest (and therefore greatest) ballpark road trip, and am now equipped with a seemingly insurmountable slag heap of material to share. But protocol must be followed, and protocol demands Crooked Nuggets.
"What's Crooked Nuggets?" you ask. "Crooked Nuggets is what you're reading now," I answer. "I want a more substantial answer," is your rejoinder. "Okay, I will provide you with one," is my reply.
In much the same way that a beautiful butterfly emerges from a chrysalis, my words, as quoted above, will now emerge into action via the delivery of the following information:
Crooked Nuggets is the scrappy, succinct offshoot of my long-running, exceedingly awesome and insanely underrated Crooked Numbers column on MiLB.com. Crooked Numbers is a monthly round-up of the weirdest, wildest and most anomalous things to have occurred on a Minor League Baseball field. Crooked Nuggets contains EVEN MORE on-field weirdness!
So let's get to it, lest it get to us!
1st of tha Month — Boise Hawks outfielder Charlie White made two pitching appearances this season, each on the first of the month and each resulting in a come-from-behind win. On August 1 the moonlighting position player took the mound in the top of the ninth inning, with his Hawks losing to the Vancouver Canadians by a score of 10-6. White pitched a scoreless ninth, and then hit an RBI double and scored in the bottom of the frame as the Hawks rallied to tie the game 10-10. White then shut down the Canadians in the 10th and 11th, with the Hawks pushing across a run in the bottom of the 11th for an improbable 11-10 victory.
One month later, to the day, White was at it again in a game against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. He was called upon to pitch the top of the ninth inning, and allowed a run as the Volcanoes extended their lead to 5-2. No matter — the Hawks scored four runs in the bottom of the inning en route to a 6-5 win. White contributed to the rally, walking and scoring a run as he earned his second victory in as many opportunities.
Titanium Sombrero — On August 1, Chevy Clark of the Great Falls Voyagers struck out in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th innings in a game against the Billings Mustangs. But six strikeouts were enough for the struggling center fielder, as he laid down a sacrifice bunt in the 14th and, finally, grounded out to third base in the 16th. Great Falls lost the ballgame, 3-1, in 17 innings, putting a merciful end to what had been a horrific night at the ballpark. The two teams combined to go 2-for-33 with runners in scoring position.
NRISP — On the other end of the "batting with runners in scoring position" equation, we have August 2's game between the Mississippi Braves and Mobile BayBears. The M-Braves won, 1-0, despite not recording a single at-bat with runners in scoring position during the ballgame. Mycal Jones' ninth-inning sacrifice fly is what done won it.
You Can't Make This Stuff Up — The Dunedin Blue Jays staged an '80s Night promotion on August 9, featuring a post-game concert by the band Stormbringer. The band's set was cut short, however, due to an oncoming storm.
You Can't Make This Stuff Up, Part. 2 — On August 4, the Bakersfield Blaze had to postpone their game against the San Jose Giants due to a transformer failure. The next afternoon, as part of a pre-existing promotion, all fans bringing electronic waste to the ballpark received free admission.
Then Again, Maybe You Can Make This Stuff Up — After the Blaze were forced to postpone August 4's ballgame, they went ahead and staged a fake game on Twitter. Read all about it.
Bako with a 2-run fake 4th; 2 singles, a wild pitch and a double. 3-0 Bako in Monday night MAKE BELIEVE action!
— Bakersfield Blaze (@BakoBlaze) August 5, 2014
Going the Extra Mile — To the best of my knowledge, the only pitcher to record two four-strikeout innings this season was Yankees farmhand Jacob Lindgren. The second-round draft pick accomplished the feat for Class A Charleston on July 12, upon which he was promoted to Class A Advanced Tampa. He then accomplished the feat for Tampa on August 3, upon which he was promoted to Double-A Trenton. On the season, Lindgren struck out 48 batters over 25 innings pitched. That's a lot, but keep in mind that the maximum number of batters a pitcher could strike out over 25 innings is infinity.
Pitch Perfect, Hit Poorly — August 4's game between the Dayton Dragons and Great Lakes Loons was notable due to — you guessed it — a snafu. MiLB.com's Midwest League Notebook has more:
Dayton pitcher Nick Travieso batted three times Monday night in a 3-2 loss to Great Lakes. Manager Jose Nieves made a lineup card mistake, listing Avain Rachal as a designated hitter when Rachal was actually the Dragons' third baseman. The Dragons lost the DH for the rest of the game, and the pitcher hit in the No. 5 spot. Travieso was 0-for-3 with a pop out and two strikeouts.
Big Easy, Pitching Hard — On August 9 against the Memphis Redbirds, three New Orleans Zephyrs pitchers combined to throw 197 pitches over just eight innings of work: Alex Sanabia (93 pitches, 4.1 innings), Rett Varner (53 pitches, 1 inning) and Donnie Joseph (51 pitches, 2.2 innings). The Redbirds won the game, 21-3.
Productive Outs — Shawn O'Malley of the Salt Lake Bees tied his season high with three RBIs on August 9, despite not recording a single. Two of O'Malley's RBIs in this contest against the El Paso Chihuahuas came via the ultra-rare two-run sacrifice fly. Watch and learn:
An Erie Occurrence (And I was there) — Erie SeaWolves' right-hander Wilsen Palacios struggled mightily against the Bowie Baysox on August 25. He went through the entirety of the starting line-up without recording an out, en route to allowing seven runs on seven hits and two walks in the first inning alone. But then a funny thing happened — Palacios settled down and followed up his frightful first with four scoreless innings, and ended up earning the win as the SeaWolves rallied for a 10-7 victory. Baysox starter Branden Kline took the opposite approach, retiring the SeaWolves 1-2-3 in the first but ultimately taking the loss after allowing nine runs over 4 2/3 innings.
Photographic evidence, taken by yours truly (aka "Me"):
Triple Trouble — The Oklahoma City RedHawks' 10-2 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas on August 23 was highlighted by a most unlikely occurrence in the fifth inning. Three RedHawks players — Domingo Santana, Andrew Aplin, Carlos Perez — all hit triples in the frame, accounting for 60% of the triples that these players would combine to hit all season.
C-1B-2B-3B-SS-LF-CF-RF-P — Every year it seems that at least one Minor League player plays all nine positions in a game on Labor Day. This year, that player was Nate Orf of the Brevard County Manatees. Congrats, Nate.
Everybody Loses — The Yankees have two Gulf Coast League affiliates, creatively named "Yankees1" and "Yankees2", and this season both GCL Yankee entities won their respective division. Yankees1 then played Yankees2 in a sudden death semi-final, and Yankees1 won. There's not much more 2 it.
Well, It's My Birthday Too, Yeah — The Palm Beach Cardinals hosted the Bradenton Marauders on August 23. In that game, Bradenton's Mason Katz, celebrating his 24th birthday, hit a home run off of Tyler Glasnow, celebrating his 21st.
And that's it for this month of Crookedness. I'll be back next month with more, so long as I have more. Meanwhile, a hearty thanks to the many people who helped make Crooked Number/Nuggets possible this month: Nate March, Alex Freedman, Nate Kurant, Mike Safford, Chris Kleinhaus-Schulz, Josh Jackson, Jon Laaser, Tim Hagerty, Dan Besbris and many others whom I am forgetting. Finally, I am still waiting for confirmation that at least one woman has read this column during any point of its existence. It's got to happen eventually.
Crooked Nuggets: July 2014
Welcome to Crooked Nuggets, the scrappy and succinct offshoot of my long-running , exceedingly awesome Crooked Numbers column on MiLB.com.
For the uninitiated, Crooked Numbers is a monthly round-up of the the weirdest, wildest and most anomalous things to have occurred on a Minor League Baseball field. Jayson Stark does not know that the column exists, though he inspired it. The July 2014 edition of "Crooked Numbers" appeared on MiLB.com today — read it or die trying – and this post contains even more instances of Minor League Baseball on-field weirdness.
Brevity is key! Let's get to it, lest it get to us.
WHAT A TAVAREZ-TY — The Salem Red Sox made five errors during July 7's game against Frederick. Three of them were by right fielder Aneury Tavarez, and two of those were made on the same play. Tavarez has made 12 errors on the season, second-most in the Carolina League.
GAME NOTE OF THE MONTH — On July 4, the Charleston RiverDogs were set to face off against a "To Be Announced" Rome Braves pitcher. Who is "To Be Announced," you ask? The RiverDogs ace media relations team took it upon themselves to provide an answer:
Today's Starters:
ROM: LHP/RHP/SHP? — To Be Announced, often abbreviated as TBA, is a fixture in the sporting world. TBA usually shows up in lineup projections in various sports. Much like close relative To Be Determined or TBD, TBA has availability for any and every team as it is also scheduled to face Charleston on Monday with the Greenville Drive. Unfortunately, TBA has not made its debut in full game action although it has often been listed to make appearances for countless numbers of athletic outfits. TBA is of indeterminate age, gender, and virtually any other personal characteristic but is still expected to be seen throughout sports in years to come.
Last Outing: Not applicable (N/A, N/A) N/A IP, N/A H, N/A R, N/A BB, N/A K
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? — The Bakersfield Blaze played their last Thursday home game of the season on July 17; each of their six remaining Thursday games will be on the road. Seriously, I'm asking you — what are the odds? This seems to be highly improbable.
WAIT, WHAT? — Entering July 16's ballgame, Lancaster's Danry Vasquez had hit one home run in 80 games. So, naturally, he went ahead and hit three home runs in one game.
HEY NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL-STAR, YOU'VE BEEN TRADED, GO PLAY — On the morning of July 16, Omaha Storm Chasers reliever Spencer Patton was informed that he had been traded from the Kansas City Royals organization to the Texas Rangers. Effective immediately, he would be a member of the Round Rock Express. Patton managed to make one more appearance in a Storm Chasers uniform, however. The Triple-A All-Star Game was that night in Durham, and Patton represented Omaha even though he wasn't technically a member of the team.
BLUE WAHISTORY — It took three seasons, but on July 25 Michael Lorenzen became the first
player pitcher in Pensacola Blue Wahoos history to hit a home run. And not only did he hit a home run — he hit a grand slam against one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.
IT'S NOT HOW MANY HITS YOU HAVE. IT'S HOW YOU USE THEM — The Iowa Cubs handily defeated the New Orleans Zephyrs on July 24, winning 11-2. However, the Cubs were outhit in the game, 14-12.
ONE EVENING, TWICE TOSSED — On July 18, Oklahoma City RedHawks pitcher Alex White managed to get ejected in both games of a doubleheader against the Nashville Sounds. And, in both cases, he was ejected by the first base umpire. White, the starting pitcher in the first game, was ejected in the fourth inning by ump Ramon DeJesus after arguing that a ball ruled fair was, in fact, in his humble opinion, foul. In the first inning of the nightcap, White and manager Tony DeFrancesca were ejected from the dugout by umpire Adam Schwarz. Allegedly, the pair had been vocally expressing their disagreement with the umpiring crew's arbitrating abilities.
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR AWAY — It is not unusual for a Double-A team to have a pair of first-round draft picks on the roster. But what is unusual is having a pair of first-round draft picks who were picked eight years apart from one another. That was the case in Akron for much of the season, as the RubberDucks' roster included both Adam Miller (2003) and Francisco Lindor (2011). Miller, 29, is attempting to resurrect his career after a series of injuries. Lindor, 20, is considered one of the top prospects in baseball and was recently promoted to Triple-A Columbus.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE — The Peoria Chiefs only mustered one hit against the Great Lakes Loons on July 28, but it wasn't a typical one-hitter. From the MiLB.com recap:
The Great Lakes Loons needed a special effort to avoid a three-game sweep in Peoria Monday afternoon — from five (almost six) different pitchers.
After listed starter Jonathan Martinez was pulled from the game in the middle of the first inning, Great Lakes got a boost from its bullpen as five pitchers combined in a one-hit shutout of the host Chiefs, 4-0.
Martinez was healthy, said Jordan Hershiser, his last-minute replacement. His teammates surmised that, with the MLB trade deadline looming, perhaps Martinez was part of a deal or was being promoted, but nothing had been announced.
Martinez indeed had been traded. He was the Player to be Named "Later" in the deal that sent Darwin Barney to the Dodgers.
INSIDE BASEBALL — John Drekker reports:
The Indianapolis, Bradenton, W.Va, Jamestown & Bristol pitching staffs all lead their leagues in hit batters. Pirates preach pitching inside
— John Dreker (@JohnDreker) July 21, 2014
And wouldn't you know it? As of this writing, Altoona (the Pirates Double-A affiliate) now leads the league in hit batters as well. Bristol (Rookie-level) is now one off the pace, however.
POSITION PLAYERS PITCHING, PART ONE — On July 20, Eric Sim pitched a perfect inning for the Augusta GreenJackets while Kale Sumner fired two perfect frames for the Charleston RiverDogs. Both Sim and Sumner are catchers.
POSITION PLAYERS PITCHING, PART TWO — July 30 was a banner day in the category of "moonlighting position players taking the mound and allowing an extra-inning grand slam in a game involving a Washington Nationals affiliate" The first occurrence was in Richmond, as Flying Squirrels leftfielder Ryan Lollis (relieving second baseman Skyler Stromsmoe) was taken deep in the 13th inning by Harrisburg's Quincy Latimore. This was the Senators' first grand slam since 2011.
The next instance took place in Potomac, as P-Nats third baseman Khayyan Norfolk yielded a 16th inning grand slam to Myrtle Beach's Lewis Brinson.
YOUR ALEX FREEDMAN UPDATE OF THE MONTH — Those in the know know that Crooked content is never complete until we hear from Oklahoma City RedHawks broadcaster Alex Freedman.
"There weren't a whole lot of Crooked happenings with us throughout the July," laments Alex. But here goes:
– Between June 21 and July 12, the RedHawks lost nine straight games when scoring first.
– From June 6 through the present day, the RedHawks have played one game that was scoreless through three full innings (July 22 vs. Round Rock).
Of course, almost immediately after that email was sent, the RedHawks played a game (August 4) that was scoreless through three innings. That's just the way things work within this Crooked Universe.
CU next time, and thanks for reading.
Crooked Nuggets: June 2014
Welcome to Crooked Nuggets, the scrappy, more succinct, offshoot of my long-running "Crooked Numbers" column on MiLB.com.
For the uninitiated, Crooked Numbers is a monthly round-up of the the weirdest, wildest and most anomalous things to have occurred on a Minor League Baseball field. The June 2014 edition of "Crooked Numbers" appeared on MiLB.com today — read it or die trying– and this post contains even more instances of Minor League Baseball on-field weirdness.
Brevity is key! Let's get to it.
Ownership — Brad Golder, broadcaster for the Great Lakes Loons, recently got in touch to let us know that South Bend's Daniel Palka has gone 4-for-4 this season against Great Lake's Victor Arano — with four home runs! Arano has allowed as many home runs to Palka as he has to the rest of the Midwest League combined.
Out and Not Proud — Speaking of the Loons, the team's Josmar Cordero had a night to forget against Lansing on June 7. For Cordero was thrown out at the plate not once, not twice, but thrice! In the third inning Cordero pounded a one-out double, but was thrown out after attempting to score on Spencer Navin's double to right field. In the seventh, Cordero singled, advanced to second on a single, and then was thrown out attempting to score on Brandon Trinkwon's single to right field. Then, in the ninth, Cordero was out at home on a 2-1 putout, after attempting to score from second on a wild pitch. That would have given the Loons a 10-9 lead, but no matter. Cordero was one of three Loons batters to score in the 11th (he scored on a bases-loaded walk, so it was impossible for him to get thrown out), and the Loons held on for a 12-10 win.
A Conundrum — Cordero might want to follow the base running strategies that Lansing Lugnuts employed on June 30. Team broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, a cerebral and loquacious man, presents us with the following headscratcher:
The Lugnuts doubled three times in the fourth inning of June 30th's game against Great Lakes, had no one tagged out on the bases, and scored one run.
Apparently, this is because Lugnuts baserunners are only able to advance one base on a double. From the game recap:
Mitch Nay doubles (16) on a fly ball to center fielder Malcolm Holland.
Derrick Loveless flies out to left fielder Jacob Scavuzzo.
Dawel Lugo doubles (11) on a fly ball to center fielder Malcolm Holland. Mitch Nay to 3rd.
Dickie Joe Thon doubles (12) on a fly ball to right fielder Alex Santana. Mitch Nay scores. Dawel Lugo to 3rd.
Rapid Misfire — The Modesto Nuts made three errors during June 24's 14-3 loss to San Jose, and they made them all on the same play! While I'm a little unclear as to the exact sequence of events, some clues can be ascertained via the MiLB.com game recap. Runners were on first and third when the ball was hit, and then:
Ben Turner reaches on a fielding error by pitcher Devin Burke. Brian Ragira scores. Elliott Blair scores. Ben Turner to 3rd. Throwing error by pitcher Devin Burke. Throwing error by left fielder Matt Wessinger.
A bit more crookedness occurred later in the game as well. In the bottom of the sixth, San Jose's Trevor Brown had a three-run home run transformed into a two-run single, after he was called out for passing a runner on the bases during his home run trot.
A rip in the space-time continuum — John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com recently contributed the following bit of information. See if you can follow:
Altoona played a doubleheader on [June 20], completing a suspended game from June 11th before their regularly scheduled game. The first game had an odd occurrence, made even more odd by what happened in the second game. On [June 18] Alen Hanson went 0-for-4, breaking his 12 game hit streak. On [June 20], he extended that hit streak to 13 games by collecting two hits in the suspended game. Since the stats count towards June 11th, the streak that was snapped two days earlier, got one game longer. Hanson had two hits in the nightcap, but those stats counted towards June 20th.
One Fish, Two Fish — Via Twitter, I recently was informed of the following:
@bensbiz Crooked Number Submission: in June 23rd game vs Billings Great Falls had Zach Fish and Zach Fisher batting 4th and 5th in the order
— Adam Luther. (@AdderallLou) June 24, 2014
For what it's worth, the next day Great Falls batted Zach Fisher fifth and Zach Fish sixth.
Putting It Down — In the 10th inning of June 6th's game between Buffalo and Syracuse, Andy LaRoche laid down a sacrifice bunt. This was his first sacrifice bunt in the Minor Leagues since 2004, a period in which LaRoche played some 700 games and logged over 2500 at-bats. In that 2004 season, LaRoche laid down two sacrifice bunts for the Columbus Catfish and two more for the Vero Beach Dodgers. Both of those franchises are now defunct.
Your Alex Freedman Email of the Month — Those in the know know that Crooked content is never complete until we hear from Oklahoma City RedHawks broadcaster Alex Freedman.
So take it away, Alex! (And be aware that this first item of his is a stone-cold Crooked classic.)
— On June 13, the RedHawks were trailing Las Vegas 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Austin Wates led off the inning with a pinch-hit single. He would advance to second, third, and eventually scored on three wild pitches…by three different pitchers! (Miguel Socolovich, Scott Rice, and John Church) The RedHawks would go on to win 6-5 in 12 innings.
— Speaking of that win on the 13th, the game ended with a walk-off home run by Gregorio Petit. It was the team's first walk-off home run in nearly two years (July 3, 2012). Naturally it didn't take quite that long for the team's next walk-off homer. Domingo Santana hit a three-run shot to beat Omaha 8-5 on June 27—a span of five home games. Each of the last three fireworks nights at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark have resulted in walk-off wins.
-The RedHawks and Tacoma Rainiers played three consecutive extra-inning games June 21-23. It was just the second time in RedHawks team history this had occurred, and the first time since the team's inaugural season in 1998. Tacoma won all three games by one run.
Thanks, Alex, and thanks to all who contributed to the column over the last month. Regularly-scheduled road trip content will resume next week, with dispatches from Rome, Hickory, Charlotte and Hickory still to come! Then, on July 18th, I hit the road again. Get ready, Akron!
Crooked Nuggets: May 2014
Welcome to Crooked Nuggets, the lovable offshoot of my long-running "Crooked Numbers" column on MiLB.com.
For the uninitiated, Crooked Numbers is a monthly round-up of the the weirdest, wildest and most anomalous things to have occurred on a Minor League Baseball field. It was inspired by my childhood infatuation with the writings of Jayson Stark, whose work then ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer. 2014 marks the sixth season of the column; it is also the sixth the season in which the column has gone unacknowledged by Stark.
The May 2014 edition of "Crooked Numbers" appeared on MiLB.com on June 4 — check it out! — and this post contains even more instances of Minor League Baseball on-field weirdness. Let's get to it, lest it get to us!
Let Crooked Reign — A left fielder and right fielder getting charged with an error in the same game is a rare occurrence. But much rarer is a left fielder and right fielder making an error on the same play. Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto witnessed, and then wrote about, this freakish occurrence: "How can the LF and RF both make an error on the same batted ball? How could they even both touch the ball on the same play? The answer is: overthrows." Click HERE to have Curto explain it all, as part of a blog post devoid of the Pavement references he is fond of making. All I can say is that this was certainly a play that did not "Brighten the Corners." Both fielders should "Cut Their Errors."
Stone is the Way of the Balk — On May 9 the Bowling Green Hot Rods clawed back from a 10-1 deficit against the Lake County Captains, scoring nine unanswered runs in the seventh and eight innings to tie the game 10-10. But this impressive comeback was all for naught. Stone Speer entered the game for the Hot Rods with one out and the bases loaded in the 11th inning, and promptly balked in the winning run. He did not throw a single pitch in the ballgame.
Sweetest City in Alabam' — The Mobile BayBears beat the Birmingham Barons on May 2, in a 17-inning ballgame that took five hours and 25 minutes to complete. Time-wise, this was the longest game in the 129-year history of the Barons. The teams combined to use 16 pitchers in the ballgame, with 14 appearing over the course of the final 10 innings.
Speed King — The Birmingham Barons are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Just one rung down the organizational ladder are the Winston-Salem Dash, who played their shortest-ever game this month. For more on this 108-minute tilt, hurry up and click HERE.
Stayin' In — If you picked the Arkansas Travelers in your office's "Last Minor League Team to Hit a Home Run in their Home Ballpark" pool, then congratulations! It took until May 10 for a Travs' player knock one out of Dickey-Stephens Park, when Brian Hernandez accomplished the feat. As of this writing (June 18), the Travelers have hit just eight home runs at home. On the road, they have hit a comparatively Herculean but otherwise anemic 24.
Broken Home — The Travelers are one of four teams in the Texas League's North Division, where no one seems to enjoy playing at home. All four clubs in the division finished the first half with a losing record at home. The winning percentage of all four teams was higher when playing on the road.
(note: I am not a fan of Papa Roach. They are one of the worst bands of all time.)
Celebrating our Smitherences — Per my MiLB.com colleague Tyler Maun:
While perusing the box scores [on May 16], I came upon this oddity: Hickory and Charleston played a DH, and three different Smiths recorded decisions.
Game 1:Save for Charleston's Chris Smith
Game 2: Win for Hickory's Tyler Smith, loss for Charleston's Caleb
Your Josh Feldman Tweet of the Month — Feldman is the broadcaster for the Kannapolis Intimidators. Maybe this will be a recurring feature. Maybe it won't be. But, anyway, check out Feldman's observation regarding what Kannapolis pitcher Andrew Mitchell accomplished on May 18 against Hickory:
Weird stat from Sunday: In 7th, Andrew Mitchell threw 12 pitches (1 strike) and got out of the inning (C Jeremy Dowdy threw out 2 runners).
— Josh Feldman (@BigTexJosh) May 19, 2014
Movin' On Up — During a late morning game on May 22, Addison Maruszak played right field for the Reading Fightin Phils. He was promoted later that day, and played third base for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs that night.
It's So E-asy — On May 26, the Salem Red Sox committed seven errors and still managed to defeat the Potomac National by a nine-run margin. The next night the Red Sox made just one error against Myrtle Beach, but lost by six.
Whole Lotta LOB — May 27th was a tough night for Visalia Rawhide pitchers, as a half dozen hurlers combined to allow 19 hits and nine walks to the Bakersfield Blaze. Yet the Rawhide won the game, 11-9, largely due to the fact that the Blaze left a staggering 19 runners on base in the ballgame (at least one in every inning). Rawhide announcer "Devastating" Donny Baarns reports that:
"Only one Major League team has stranded more (Yankees, 20, in 1916). No MLB team has ever left 19 in a 9 inning game; 6 have left 18. The Cal League left on base record is 21 (5/17/95, San Jose vs. Rancho)."
Time After Time — From May 20-28, the Durham Bulls played eight games with eight different start times. On May 20th, they faced off at home against Louisville at 1:05. This was followed by a four game set in Columbus, with games beginning at 6:35, 7:15, 7:05 and 6:05. The Bulls then went on to Toledo, where the starting times for the first three games were 6:00, 6:30, and 10:30.
And that, folks, is all I've got for the month of May. Thanks for getting crooked with me, and, as always, get in touch if you are a witness to the weirdness:
Crooked Nuggets: April 2014
Welcome to Crooked Nuggets, the succinct yin to the verbose yang that is Crooked Numbers.
For the uninitiated, Crooked Numbers is my long-running monthly MiLB.com column featuring the weirdest and wildest things to have occurred on a Minor League Baseball field. ("Never heard of it!" raves Jayson Stark.) This month's edition is now live over on MiLB.com — go check it out! — and this post contains even more instances of Minor League Baseball on-field weirdness.
Let's get to it, lest it get to us!
Stange Occurences — During the 2013 season, reliever Daniel Stange appeared in 52 Minor League games and threw three wild pitches. The Syracuse Chiefs righthander has already surpassed that total in 2014, thanks in no small part to this disastrous April 7 outing against Pawtucket.
For the Record — As of this writing, Stockton Ports righthander Seth Streich has struck out 24 batters over 21 innings of work. Fitting, as his last name is pronounced "Strike."
One Out, Two Runs — It's not every day that a sacrifice fly results in two runs, but that's the kind of thing that happens when Billy Burns is on the basepaths.
A Concentrated Dose — Omaha center fielder Brett Eibner drove in 12 runs over his first 19 games of the season, with NINE of them coming in a single ballgame (April 9′ s 20-3 rout of Memphis). Take away that game and, through April 24, Eibner had driven in just three runs over 64 at-bats….Somewhat similarly, Lehigh Valley IronPigs catcher Cameron Rupp homered in each of his first four games of the season. He did not homer in any of his next six games, and then went on the disabled list.
Cardinal Sins — Springfield Cardinal fielders made a franchise-record six errors during April 10's game against San Antonio, but no matter: The Cards still pulled out a 8-5 victory in 14 innings over the Missions. Shortstop Aledmys Diaz was the only player to make two errors in the ballgame, but atoned for his miscues with a two-run home run in the top of the 14th inning.
Throwing BBs — On April 12, Altoona Curve pitchers combined to issue a franchise-record 12 walks to the Richmond Flying Squirrels. But, despite all of that, they only lost by a 4-3 score. One week later it was Richmond's turn to go wild, as Flying Squirrels pitchers walked 11 Curve batters but — some way, somehow — won the game by a score of 7-3.
You Always Remember Your First — A player's first professional home run is always memorable, but some first professional home runs are more memorable than others. Witness Erich Weiss of the West Virginia Power, whose first-ever home run was nothing less than an inside-the-park grand slam.
9-6=3 — The first triple play of the Minor League season, turned by the Lexington Legends, was of the 1-6-3-2 variety. On April 14, the Brevard County Manatees turned three in a simpler fashion: right fielder Michael Reed to shortstop Orlando Arcia. Read all about it.
Believe It Or Not — On April 16 the Jacksonville Suns had runners reach base in five different innings, scoring in three of them. Yet, they were no-hit by Chattanooga for 8 2/3 innings before finally losing by a 5-4 score.
The Ecstasy and the Agony — Matt McBride of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox hit his first Triple-A home run of the season on April 18, and promptly went on the disabled list after breaking his foot during his home run trot.
You Throwin' At Me? — Jason Ratliff, my erstwhile MiLB.com colleague and a brilliant man, submitted the following item:
So Close, Yet So Far — This nugget comes courtesy of reader Dennis Waters:
Back to Back Bros — Finally, we have this, courtesy of my MiLB.com colleague Paige Schector:
On April 21, White Sox prospects Josh Richmond and Rangel Ravelo of Birmingham hit back-to-back homers in the eighth. The next day, they went back-to-back again in the fifth.
Got something Crooked to share? Get at me, lest I get at you.
Crooked Nuggets: August Edition
With a few straggling exceptions, the Minor League regular season ended on Labor Day. In conjunction with this imminent cessation of play I spent the day laboring over the August edition of "Crooked Numbers." If you are visiting this little slice of the internet to begin with, then you probably know that "Crooked Numbers" is a monthly column that details all of the strangest things to have occurred on a Minor League Baseball field over the course of that month. It is a logistically onerous column to write, but any negatives are outweighed by the fact that bizarre baseball minutia is, by far, my favorite kind of bizarre minutia. Crooked Numbers is nothing less than a labor of love
And there's more where that came from — right here and right now! Welcome to "Crooked Nuggets." a blog-only supplement featuring all of the Crooked info that's fit to print, in 75 words or less. There's so much to get to, so let's get to it!
Basepath Blunders — On August 4 Eugene Renfroe of the Eugene Emeralds smashed a line drive over the left field wall for a two-run home run. Except, no, he did not. Due to "confusion on the basepaths," Renfroe passed teammate Anthony Torres on his way to second base, was ruled out, and therefore only ended up with an RBI single. No harm, no foul, as the Ems still defeated Tri-City by a score of 6-1.
Appy League Follies — August 10's game between the Princeton Rays and Pulaski Blue Jays was a comedy of errors — literally. The hometown Blue Jays made seven of them that evening, including five miscues with two outs in the first inning that led to nine Rays runs. The Blue Jays then clawed back and tied the game at 9-9 after four innings, but it wasn't enough as they ultimately lost by a score of 13-12. This strange ballgame was particularly strange for Pulaski starter Ramire Cleto. The 20-year-old right-hander allowed eight runs over 2/3rds of an inning but, as none of the runs were earned, lowered his ERA to 2.47.
Pioneer League Follies — The above Princeton-Pulaski tilt wasn't the only Rookie-level contest this month in which a team made at least seven errors in a game they ended up losing by one run with both teams scoring in the double digits (and shame on you if you thought otherwise). On August 7 the Orem Owlz defeated the Grand Junction Rockies 11-10, in a game that featured eight Grand Junction errors and 10 overall. This was a particularly trying game for Grand Junction catcher Jairo Rosario, who made four errors. Not only did this account for half of the errors he made in the ballgame, but it also accounted for half of his eventual season total.
It All Evens Out– To quote the legendary Harry Nilsson, Nashville Sounds starter Jimmy Nelson went through a prolonged stretch throughout July and August in which "things went good, things went bad, things went good, went bad, then good, bad, good, bad, good, bad." On July 3, July 21, July 31, and August 11 he combined to post a 1.17 ERA. But those gems alternated with starts on July 8, July 26, August 5 and August 16, in which he posted a 7.03 ERA.
Desert Sessions — Scoring 30 runs in the offense-drenched California League is perhaps a bit less impressive than it would be in other circuits, but, still: it's impressive! The High Desert Mavericks did just this on August 9, scoring 10 runs in both the first and second innings en route to a 30-8 shellacking of the Lancaster JetHawks. Not only did every batter in the starting line-up hit safely — every batter in the starting line-up scored at least one run, drove in at least one and contributed at least one extra-base hit. On the other side of the ledger it was a tough evening for Lancaster's Mike Hauschild and Blair Waters, as both allowed 10 runs over 2/3rds of an inning of work.
Post-script: One day after scoring 30 runs, the Mavericks were, of course, shut out.
OKC Can They Swing! — Another impressive shellacking that occurred this month came courtesy of the Oklahoma City RedHawks, who defeated the Colorado Springs Sky Sox by a score of 24-5 on August 3. Further info on this game will hopefully be provided by Crooked Numbers wunderkind Alex Freedman (also the RedHawks broadcaster), but for now let me note the following: all 11 RedHawks to bat in the game scored a run!
#MegaBowl — The Jackson Generals played three straight doubleheaders against the Mobile BayBears from August 19-21, with the teams somehow managing to play 44 innings over a span of 53 hours. All three doubleheaders were sweeps, with Jackson winning the "dual" on the 19th and Mobile emerging doubly triumphant on both the 20th and 21st.
Streaking Across the Carolina League — 2013's much-coveted award for "most epically streaky team" goes to the appropriately-named Winston-Salem Dash, who lost eight games in a row from August 11-18 and then followed that up by winning 10 in a row from August 19-29. No other teams paired streaks of of eight games (or more) together this season, although the Great Lakes Loons (seven losses followed by seven wins, May 29-June 12) are worthy of an honorable mention.
But Wait! There's More! — Somehow, in the midst of their aforementioned 10-game winning streak, the Dash managed to lose a game and this got them booted from playoff contention. On August 28 the team dropped an 8-7 decision to Potomac, but since this was a completion of July 11's suspended game the winning streak remained intact.
Men of their Word — This season the Peoria Chiefs instituted a "Guaranteed Win Wednesday" promotion, which provided fans were awarded a free ticket to an upcoming game in the event of a home team loss. Well, that never happened, as the Chiefs took this whole "guaranteed win" thing to heart and proceeded to go 7-0 on Wednesdays at home during the 2013 season.
Information Omission — The Huntsville Stars defeated the Jackson Generals on the last day of the season by a score of 4-3, and to read the Stars' game recap one think that nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Well, call me crazy, but it seems that the Stars' outfield shenanigans were deserving of a mention. It's not every day that a guy ends up with "RF-LF-CF-RF-CF-LF-CF-RF" next to his name in the boxscore.
Milestone Ruiners — The Tucson Padres scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning on Labor Day, pulling out a 5-4 win over Las Vegas in their final game in franchise history. That's all well and good, except that this victory was the 3001st in Tucson's Triple-A history. If the Padres had had the good sense to lose, Tucson would have exactly 3000 wins in its Triple-A victory ledger and all would be right with the world.
Crooked Nuggets: July Edition
I am writing this from a hotel in Bakersfield, cranking up the AC while contemplating the legacy of Buck Owens. My content from this California (and Oregon) trip, which begins tonight at Sam Lynn Ballpark and ends next weekend in Hillsboro, will almost certainly provide me with enough blog (and MiLB.com) material to last through the remainder of the regular season.
But before all that there is this important piece of business to take care of: Crooked Nuggets, the counterpart to my monthly MiLB.com Crooked Numbers column. Read the new edition of Crooked Numbers HERE (highlights include a Merkle-esque blunder, Double-A Rod antics, and the info behind this month's strangest ejection) and then come back here to enjoy Crooked Nuggets: Minor League on-filed weirdness in 75 words or less.
This post, like every piece of Crooked content, is dedicated to Jayson Stark. May he one day acknowledge the existence of my efforts.
Let's go!
Crooked Nuggets — Notable instances of July 2013 Minor League on-field weirdness and statistical quirks, in 75 words or less!
A Delay That Makes Scents — Minor League Baseball's latest and therefore greatest skunk delay occurred in Lynchburg on July 6, in a game between the Hillcats and the visiting Frederick Keys. Keys reliever Miguel Chalas emerged as the man of the hour, fearlessly ambling onto the warning track and using his glove to capture the skunk. (It turns out that he thought it was a cat). For far more on this riveting saga, please read this funny, informative and creatively-written post on the "Unlocking the Keys" team blog.
Good Things Come — Tim Dillard earned the 36th win of his Nashville Sounds career on June 30, establishing a new franchise record. Let's just say that Dillard took the long route to the record, as he has just one win in 2013 and earned just one in 2012 (notched on August 14, when he tied the franchise mark). Dillard earned eight wins for the Sounds in 2007, six in 2008, 11 in 2009, give in 2010 and four in 2011. Win #37 is currently scheduled for sometime in early 2015.
Anomalous, I Tell You. Anomalous — MiLB.com records only date back to 2005, and in that time the Kannapolis Intimidators have managed to hit just three pinch-hit home runs — all of them against the Greensboro Grasshoppers. The most recent to do so Juan Ramirez on July 14, his only home run of the season.
Flair for the Dramatic — Speaking of records dating back to 2005: in that time, there have been 16 "ultimate grand slams" in Minor League Baseball, in which a player hit a walk-off grand slam when his team was trailing by three. The most recent to do so was Dayton's Seth Mejias-Brean on July 18, which marked the first time that any player in the Reds organization had done so since Adam Dunn on June 30, 2006.
Swinging Singles — The Charleston RiverDogs defeated the Hickory Crawdads by a score of 3-0 on July 21, in a game that featured 16 hits. All 16 of these hits were of the one-base variety.
A Pacific Coast League Canine Mascot Reports from Texas — I am proud and a little bit baffled to have among my sources an honest-to-God mascot, and that mascot is Spike of the Round Rock Express. Presented in its unexpurgated form, here is his latest Twitter-based contribution. Make of it what you will.
@bensbiz 2 teammates, each with a pregnant wife, take an early morning fishing trip before their next start & each win 5-2 #CrookedNumbers
— Spike (@Spike_RRE) July 24, 2013
@bensbiz Jake Brigham on 7/20, Josh Lindblom on 7/23. Both w/ 6 IP, give up 2ER. Reports of identical fish caught are unsubstantiated
— Spike (@Spike_RRE) July 24, 2013
All in Two Days Work — Brian Fletcher enjoyed a three-homer game for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals this month, and it sure took him a long time to do it. He blasted two homers against Arkansas on July 23 before the ballgame was halted by a thunderstorm, and then when play resumed the next day he hit a walk-off homer in the 11th.
Texas Sized Whiffin' — During July 25's game between the aforementioned Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Springfield Cardinals, six moundsmen combined to strike out a league record 32 batters (18 by Northwest Arkansas and 14 by Springfield, with NWA's Kyle Zimmer leading the way with 12). The previous record was established way back on September 3, 1951 when Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell struck out 14 for Houston and Bob Turley (who lost the game) struck out 17 for San Antonio.
Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better (and then, eventually, worse) — Montgomery's Victor Mateo and Jacksonville's Bryan Evans were locked in an masterful pitching duel on July 27, with neither allowing a hit through the first five frames. Evans lost his bid after allowing a solo home run with one out in the sixth, and Mateo then trumped that by allowing back-to-back-to-back home runs to start the seventh.
Paging Anthony Young — In 2012 Matt Benedict earned a mid-season call-up to the Bradenton Marauders and proceeded to go 0-8 with an 8.08 ERA over 14 appearances. This season he managed to lower his ERA considerably, but still lost his first nine decisions. This epic 17-game losing streak came to end on July 31, when Benedict hurled two scoreless inning and earned the win as his Marauders defeated Dunedin.
Did You Know? — In his New York-Penn League notebook on MiLB.com, Craig Forde points out the following:
A deadline deal in which the Cardinals traded left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski to the Indians came with a quirky side note pointed out by the crack media relations staff in State College. Infielder Juan Herrera, whom St. Louis received in return, was assigned to the Spikes and became the first player to play against and for the club in the same season.
Tweet Triumvirate! Sometimes all that you really need to know is contained within 140 characters and, often, a corresponding link. Some examples:
Last night @ospreybaseball Jose Queliz hit 1st career triple in first inning. He then went on to hit for the cycle: http://t.co/wGr4hLb8ZE
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) August 1, 2013
RT @LowellSpinners: irony for @redsox fans, as it is Cody Dent, son of Bucky, with single to break up the perfecto. http://t.co/uPk9c5qZdh
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) August 1, 2013
K'd County RT @CMehring: Tyler Wagner of the Rattlers K'd Zapata, Amaya, & Almora of Kane County on 9 pitches 7/31
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) August 1, 2013
And finally, we close with this month's contribution from Crooked Numbers' all-time contribution king: Oklahoma City RedHawks broadcaster Alex Freedman.
After a sustained run of Crooked brilliance, July turned out to be a pretty tame month for Alex and his OKC cronies. But, by Crooked mortal standards, these are still pretty good:
I don't know how crooked you can say these numbers even are. Pretty tame month and probably not worth inclusion in the main column anyway.
*Between July 10-12, the RedHawks played four straight games in which one team was shutout. (Includes a doubleheader on the 12th.)
July 10: W, 7-0
July 11: L, 11-0
July 12 (#1): L, 9-0
July 12 (#2): W, 5-0
*Along the same lines, the RedHawks pitched three shutouts July 8-12. They had pitched three shutouts all season up to that point.
*The RedHawks won the final four games of the month, scoring four runs each night
Thanks to Alex, as always, for the contribution. If you would like to work your way up the Crooked Numbers contribution ranks, perhaps to a sentinel or even an arch-duke, then please get in touch. The journey of 429 miles begins with a single step.
A Quick Break From the Road: Crooked Nuggets!
Please believe me when I tell you that I have plenty of Midwest League "On the Road" content to share in the coming weeks, but also please believe me when I tell you that I have been writing lots of other great stuff as well. That's my mission in life, really: to write great stuff and then bask in the profound indifference that it inevitably generates.
And now for something completely indifferent — Crooked Nuggets! This is the succinct yin to the more verbose yang that is Crooked Numbers, my MiLB.com column that features all the weirdest and wildest things that occurred on a Minor League Baseball field in the past month. Read the new edition of Crooked Numbers HERE, and then read this:
Crooked Nuggets — Notable instances of June 2013 Minor League on-field weirdness and statistical quirks, in 75 words or less!
Losing Control — Four Myrtle Beach Pelicans hurlers combined to pitch a one-hitter against the Salem Red Sox, but Myrtle Beach lost the game by a 3-2 score as, in addition to the one hit, this quartet of hurlers also issued nine walks.
International League Juggernauts — During the NBA playoffs, the Norfolk Tides made the astute Twitter observation that their bullpen trio of Jon Rauch (6'11"), Mark Hendrickson (6'9″) and Adam Russell (6'8″) are a combined one inch taller than the starting front court of the Miami Heat. For those keeping score at home, that's 244 inches for this Tides triumvirate against the Heat's 243.
Get a Whiff of This: Of the 54 outs recorded in June 5's ballgame between Wisconsin and Beloit, a staggering 33 of them came via the strikeout (16 by Beloit pitchers, 17 courtesy Wisconsin). Of the 18 batters who came to the plate during the ballgame, 16 struck out at least once, 11 struck out at least twice, five struck out at least three times, and one (Wisconsin Timber Rattler Chris McFarland) struck out four times.
Get Out of Here! Even more staggering is this: of the 24 hits tallied by the Lancaster JetHawks and Stockton Ports on June 5, 11 of them left the park! Max Muncy led the way with three home runs, as his Ports slugged their way to a 13-7 victory. The 11 home runs tied a California League record last accomplished in 1962, while the Ports' seven home runs fell one short of the record for most home runs by one team in a game.
Triples in Triplicate: Back-to-back-to-back home runs are rare, but even rarer is the the three-base triumvirate that is back-to-back-to-back triples. That's what Salt Lake's Trent Oeltjen, Andrew Romine and Roberto Lopez accomplished in the fifth inning of June 2's game against Colorado Springs, en route to securing a 10-1 victory. It was the second triple of the season for all three players, and in the ensuing month-plus only Romine has managed to hit another triple.
GG Ailin' Over at Baseball Prospectus, Ben Lindbergh dives into the atrocious inning suffered by Las Vegas 51s reliever Gonzalez Germen against Tacoma on June 13. Germen came on to pitch the eighth inning and surrendered four home runs, marking just the seventh time since 2005 that this has occurred in the Minors. Since 2005 there has only been one pitcher to give up five homers in an inning, and fittingly he, too, has the initials GG: Glenn Gibson, who accomplished the ignominious feat as a member of the Carolina Mudcats in 2008.
So Long, It's Been Good to Know Ya — Indianapolis Indians manager Dean Treanor must have set some sort of record for "earliest ejection" on June 16, as he was tossed from the game while exchanging the line-up card at home plate. Treanor was still steaming from a call the umpiring crew had made the night before, and for more on that plus a whole lot of good writing in general please click HERE.
Something in the Way — The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Cedar Rapids Kernels played a four-game series from June 20-23, and in the final three games of that series a runner was ruled out after being hit with a batted ball. On June 21 (I was there!), the Timber Rattlers had the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Orlando Arcia was hit to end the ballgame. Cedar Rapids' Jorge Polanco was hit while running to second in the second inning of June 22's game (I was also there, trust me), and, finally, Byron Buxton was hit while running to second in the third inning Sunday.
(The above tidbit, like so many others, courtesy T-Rats announcer Chris Mehring who, as I write this, is live-tweeting his reactions to the 1996 John Travolta action film "Broken Arrow.")
Decisions, Decisions — Winston-Salem's exemplary "Dashboard Blog" notes that this year's MiLB "starts without a no-decision" leaders are Winston-Salem righty Chris Beck (8-8 in 16 starts) and, even better, Sacramento's Andrew Werner (7-11 in 18 starts). I will make sure to monitor this situation as it develops.
Talkin' 'Bout Both Generations — It's been the question on everyone's mind lately: have any professional pitchers out there faced both Delino Deshields Sr. and Jr? Lancaster JetHawks broadcaster Jason Schwartz believes he has found the answer: Ted Lilly.
Lilly, 37, pitched to Delino Deshields Sr. five times over the course of the 2000 and 2001 season, while Deshields was on the Orioles and Lilly a New York Yankee. Fast forward to June 30 2013, and Lilly, making a rehab start for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, faced Deshields Jr. and his Lancaster JetHawks. Junior walked in his first plate appearance against the wizened Lilly, and laid down a sac bunt in his second.
Laying It Down — The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (yes, them again) were defeated by the Kane County Cougars by a score of 4-3 on June 30. This despite the heroic efforts of T-Rats second baseman Alfredo Rodriguez, who tied a Midwest League record by laying down three sac bunts. Per Chris Mehring, the last time this had happened was two decades and a day before. Kane County's Anthony Silvestri accomplished the feat on June 29, 1993.
More Alex Freedman!
Every month, Oklahoma City RedHawks broadcaster Alex Freedman gets in touch with a full-to-bursting round-up of the Crooked-est things he's observed whilst logging time in his broadcast booth environs. Much of this month's Freedman missive can be read in June's "Crooked Numbers" column on MiLB.com. But, of course, there's more. Take it away, Mr. Freedman:
– On June 6 in game in Omaha, the RedHawks led 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth. A play with a fielder's choice plus an error tied the game on what should have been a game-ending double play. Two batters later with runners at the corners, pitcher Jose Valdez did the now illegal fake to third, look to first move, resulting in a balk-off win for the Storm Chasers.
– On June 10 in Oklahoma City, the Iowa Cubs defeated the RedHawks, 7-6. Iowa starting pitcher Yoanner Negrin earned the win, despite allowing five runs and 10 hits over five innings. The real kicker is Negrin struck out eight batters, so the RedHawks were 10-for-15 against him on balls put in play. Yet he still got the win. That still blows my mind.
This has been "Crooked Nuggets," a proud subdivision of the monthly MiLB.com column "Crooked Numbers." Please, someone, get Jayson Stark (who inspired the column in the first place) to acknowledge its existence. My emails have gone unreturned.


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More than three-quarters of the 16 spots for the 5th London Chess Classic have now been filled. The festival will take place from December 7-15, 2013, with the marquee event running for the final five days.
GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Peter Svidler, and GM Judit Polgar accepted their invitations last week. GM Vladimir Kramnik was already committed, as was GM Hikaru Nakamura.
The tournament will not be a classical time control this year. The organizers said this is to accomodate GM Viswanathan Anand, who will have just finished the world championship match in India (GM Magnus Carlsen is not currently on this list of players). The rapid event will be a hybrid "knockout" style, with advancement coming after six games of group play. See the format here.
The best half-dozen English players have also confirmed their participation: GM Luke McShane, GM Michael Adams, GM Nigel Short, GM Matthew Sadler, GM Gawain Jones and GM David Howell. This leaves only three spots left to be filled.
The Classic will again have a chess festival, including a FIDE Open and Women's Invitational.
How do I submit my application? :-p
another tournament with the wrong name, like nawa607 said the tournament must be renamed
I will not follow it
I hope Karjakin, Grishuck and Ivanchuck will play this tournament.
Very interesting that they switched time controls. Might be a palatable medium for viewing live with the chess team at my university now. I do prefer classical time controls, however, as they allow for better quality chess. This may still be exciting to follow.
Too bad they had to switch to rapid time controls. I was looking forward to actually following the event. Now the event doesn't really matter.
This will ruin the memory of great London classic we had last year.
I am still waiting for my invite. Must have got lost in the post again. That is what happened last year.
Wait what are the time controls?
The London Chesss Classic is a rapid event?!?!
RIP Quality Chess
The event has to be renamed "London Chess Rapid", then. So disappointing!
I have to say that I'm hugely disappointed that the tournament will not be at classical time controls this year. Could Anand not have been excused this time?
Well, let me check my schedule...
Go Gelfand take out the british!
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Bayonne's 260-foot wind turbine, which stands near the southern end of the peninsula, will be operational starting this week, according to Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority Director Stephen Gallo at Wednesday's City Council meeting.
The turbine has been in a testing phase, he said.
The turbine was assembled in late January. At the time, officials estimated it would be operational by March. But the connection of the turbine to the Oak Street Pumping Station took longer than expected to complete.
Officials say the turbine will produce approximately 3.3 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, which would be enough to power 600 single-family homes for the year. But the electricity generated by the turbine will be used solely to help power the city's Oak Street and Fifth Street pumping stations.
The stations pump sewage to Jersey City, where it is in turn pumped to a sewage treatment facility in Newark.


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|Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
Iris R. Davis
By teaching students the contents of this unit they will learn to exhibit performance skills, read and notate musical symbols, and develop skills in working with others. The history of the theater will help students to understand that personal beliefs and societal values influence art forms and styles. Identifying significant works of drama will allow students to understand the diversity between cultures and styles.
As a result of this unit students will be able to recognize the aesthetic qualities of the arts and appreciate the importance of it. They will learn to act, analyze and respond to performances, evaluate the quality of performances, and demonstrate performance disciplines.
Music is worth knowing. It is a field of study with its own special body of knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking. The ability to perform, to create, and to listen to music with understanding is highly desirable for every member of society. An important purpose of the schools is to transmit our cultural heritage to succeeding generations, and music is one of the most glorious manifestations of our cultural heritage.
The schools have an obligation to help each student develop his or her musical potential. Musical potential is one of the basic abilities, along with linguistic potential, physical potential, and others, that exist is every individual. In many persons it remains largely undeveloped throughout life. Music provides an outlet for creativity and for self-expression. It enables us to express our thoughts and feelings, engages our imaginations allowing us to assert our uniqueness.
The study of music can help the student understand better the nature of mankind. It reveals unique aspects of our relationship with other human beings and with our environment. It provides a readily accessible avenue to the study of other cultures and increases the satisfaction that students derive from music and enables them to deal with more sophisticated and complex music raining their level of appreciation, and expanding their musical horizons.
Providing students with opportunities to study the arts benefits the students, schools, and society in important ways. The arts are a key component for the development of the total child. Through the arts students learn to focus on discipline, school atmosphere, various learning styles, commercial vocational applications, creativity, and teamwork.
The job of the director is to map out the flow of traffic on-stage. He/She must decide on entrances, exits, crosses, and all other movements of the actors on stage to bring all the elements together. The director must read the play several times and plan how it is to be directed. The idea or concept of how the play should be done is called the directorial concept. Certain questions need to be asked. What actors are to be chosen? What scenery, music, costumes, and props will contribute to one main idea? What kind of set will be needed? The next important point in preparing for a play is the choice of cast members. Casting a play is not easy even for most experienced directors. Professionally known actors are easy to cast. However, amateur actors need to try out for a part before the director knows where she/he will be most effective. When auditioning actors, directors should pick scenes which show different sides of the character. The scenes should be read ahead of time, and should be picked out according to scenes that five a good indication of the role. In order to learn needed strategies and stage technique refer to On Stage! How to Put on A Play, by Patricia Sternberg.
The next step is to find out where the play will be put on. Certain plays lend themselves to certain stages, and some plays can be done more easily then others. The cost of putting on a play must be considered as well. Expenses may run on copies of scripts, posters for advertisements, tickets, programs, props, costumes, music, lighting, and make-up. Funds will have to be requested, contributed, and earned with fund raisers. Students can raise money by giving bake sales, hotdog sales, and candy sales. Parent involvement in education is also and important factor. When parents and teachers work together parents have the chance to carry out activities that will enhance the experience of their children while helping to bring up the morale of the students in the whole school. When parents work together in a school the foundation becomes stronger.
Now it is time to consider the third element necessary for putting on a play; the audience. When choosing a play, think about who the audience will be, making sure that the play is appealing. In order to charge admission to the play the actors have an added responsibility to please the audience. But that is not all. Of course no one wants to put on a play that will not interest anyone. So we must find a play that can be talked about, understood, and is fitting for the audience that will attend.
Four basic questions should be asked before a play is set into motion. * Who are the performers? * Where will you perform the play? * What play will you do? * Who is your audience? Once these decisions are made it is possible to go on with the play with a good percentage of success in your pocket.
The hardest part of getting students to concentrate is helping them learn how to focus their thoughts in the right direction for a long enough period of time to accomplish the desired effect of each characterĺs personality. Once students have learned to do this they can create an atmosphere which will be enhancing to the actors and the audience.
Give students a hand-out of a dotted half note and a dotted quarter note, or draw the notes on the board so that they may be seen by all students.This next activity will help students become more flexible in the use of their body while applying the knowledge of the dotted half note and the dotted quarter note. One of the best ways to relax is to practice becoming free with body movements to music. Here are some suggestions for good selections of music for movement.
Discuss the characteristics of the dotted half note and the dotted quarter note: A dotted half note receives three musical beats, has a hollow ball for the base, and a stem on the right side; A dotted quarter note receives one and a half beats, has a filled in black ball for the base, and a stem on the right side.
Have students learn the note value of the dotted half note (three beats) and the dotted quarter note (one and a half beats). Have them clap the beats and count them out.
Debussy, La Mer
Stravinsky, Firebird Suite
Saint-Saens, Carnival of the Animals
Strauss, 2001: Space Odyssey
Moussorgsdy, Pictures at an Exhibition
Greg, Peer Gynt Suite
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcraker Suite or Sleeping Beauty
Wagner, Ride of the Valkyries
Bach, Fugue No. 2 in C Minor.
Begin by having students imagine that they are holding a beach ball. How big is it? How soft or firm is it? Feel its texture. Imagine its weight. Now toss it up in the air and catch it. Toss it higher and higher each time. This time toss it and let it drop to the ground. Does it bounce? If you are playing with someone else, play catch with the beach ball. Throw it gently and then throw it hard. Keep in mind its weight.
Now that students are familiar with the dotted half note and the dotted quarter note and their imaginary beach ball, play a musical selection. Have students bounce the imaginary ball on various beats.
Have students pair with each other and toss the imaginary ball back and forth on various beats of the music.
In order to have students learn more about peopleĺs behavior and mannerisms, have them spend time watching others to see how they react in various situations. Have them observe their facial expressions, the way they use their hands, the way they walk, how they hold their heads, how they stand. Notice their reactions to the events around them. Have them observe people in public places. Watch how they greet other people, laugh, respond to animals, comb their hair, etc. Have them notice what different people do when they pass mirrors or big glass windows. Have students demonstrate their findings.
Have students choose a partner, and face each other. Choose one person as the leader, and the other must mimic the actions of the leader just as though he is looking into a mirror. Movements should be slow and simple, and the follower should be very precise in imitations.
Now have students move freely to the beat of a music selection while mirroring with a partner.
Have one person start an action and repeat the movement over and over. A second person adds an action coordinating it with the first person. A third person should join in with an action coordinated with one of the people already involved. Continue to add a on people until everyone becomes a part of the machine.
Have students create sounds while coordinating actions with the other parts of the machine.
To help students understand the difference in one tone of voice and another, teach them to sing music syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. Showing the syllables written on a poster or the black board will help students to focus on the difference in each tone.
Students will learn to concentrate using the five senses. First have students concentrate on a real object which will allow them to touch and physically feel the objects that they choose to focus on. But then when using imaginary objects the exercise will become a real challenge.
Students will experience physical activity or physical business on-stage by acting out scenes such as playing the piano with a broken finger, reciting a poem with a bad cough, carrying a heavy load of schoolbooks with a sore back, or waiting for a bus in very cold weather. Say a student usually clears the table quickly before mother serves desert. Have a student show how the dishes will be stacked and gently placed in the sink, or show that because of the rush to get back to the table the stack of dishes get smashed along the way.
The emotional states will be brought up by using tone color to describe anger, happiness, sadness, etc. Through this students will learn to color their characterĺs personality just as they would a portrait of the character. Students will demonstrate and act out fear, irritation, anger, excitement, anticipation, boredom, love, appreciation, and sympathy to various music selections that suggest each emotional state.
This lesson will help students become familiar with the senses through the use of rhythm band instruments. Place rhythm band instruments on a table in front of students. Name and demonstrate each one. For example: While showing a tambourine, five the name, emphasize the shape, and discuss the moveable parts. Be sure to demonstrate the proper way to play each instrument. Blindfold students and place a rhythm band instrument in front of them on the desk. Have students touch the instruments and describe the shape and parts.
Now have students name the instrument. Remove blindfold and have students feel the shape and parts again. Ask them to demonstrate how each instrument is to be played.
This time have students imagine they are holding the same instrument as they had in the beginning of the lesson. Have them describe how the instrument would feel if they were actually holding it. Now have them demonstrate how the imaginary instrument would be played.
Have students imagine the following: Pick a rose and smell it and feel it. Suggest that they prick their finger on a thorn. Lift the top off a garbage pail. Smell an apple pie cooking in the oven. Smell a cow barn. Gas being put in a car.
Have students imagine they are tasting . . . Ice cream, a spoonful of milk of magnesia or cod liver oil, taffy candy, a lemon, coca-cola.
Here is where we find the historical approach to the scenario. I believe that in anything that we do there must be a history behind it or there would be no story to tell. That is why I have chosen to introduce theater to students through The Dramatic Story Of The Theater by Dorothy and Joseph Samachson.
We explore how the theater began by pulling out selected points of history from selected chapters. An in-depth study would be far too time consuming and would almost instantly disinterest the students past the point of retrieval. I had not as of yet found a way to present history in a manner which would not bore them to death until I realized that I can have students actually act out the historically important facts. It has also occurred to me that this method will help students to remember what they have learned, as well as gaining some acting experience that can be analyzed later on in the unit.
The historical plays mentioned in this section have been modified and shortened and can be found in The Dramatic Story of Theater by Dorothy and Joseph Samachson.
Read text aloud as the class follows along.
The text used in Abuydos Passion Play. It was performed at Abuydos, a city in southern Egypt famed as a burial place of kings. The play had only a few lines of text and no stage directing, so actors and directors had to guess about their actions. Egyptian plays were religious in character and sometimes told of dead souls of pharaohs and how they were brought back to life. Others, like this one, described events in the lives of the gods. These plays had very little plot but plenty of action.
This play has scenes concerning the Egyptian gods, numerous fights, and a monk battle. Plays of this era always had processions, religious ceremonies, and battles in which the audience would take part. The plays were given in special temples in the pyramids, close to the tombs of the kings, or in ôHouses of the godsö. The Egyptian theater lasted about four thousand years. Then it died out.
A City in China, Any Year, A.D. 1000-1940 The theaters of China are only a small part of the numerous and varied theaters of Asia, Africa, and the islands of the Pacific. It is impossible to mention more than a few theaters. One theater is the magic theater of Bali. Its function was to win the villagers the support of the gods, to protect them against evil spirits. In the Balinese plays, some of the actors are actually supposed to be possessed by the spirits of the witches, the leyaks, whom they are trying to exorcise.
The Chinese theater were usually religious in purpose. Songs were sung by a chorus, and later developed a set of symbols and conventions that has come down to our own times. The plots of the plays tell of emperors and princesses, noble generals and heroes who were trapped in the toils of the villains, and bravely fight their way out. Others tell of trials and tribulations of wives and the sacrifices that they make to aid their husbands. Some parts of the plays have lively action while others are full of poetic thoughts, lofty sentiments and are usually written for select audiences.
Traditional Chinese theater has not changed much during the centuries. Because the symbols are so strange to us one play Lady Precious Stream, has been translated and performed in England and the United States.
A Small Park in an American City, 1938. A platform ordinarily used for band concerts is where the vaudeville acts were put on. A juggler skillfully tosses plates and dumbbells. A magician follows the juggler, a song and dance team succeeds the magician. But the next act in this program introduces a serious note. Three men and two women put on a small skit that portrays a strike taking place in a nearby town.
These plays are of strikes, housing shortages, and unemployment. And then there are plays of a different nature; Pinocchio was produced to entertain children. In the large cities where theaters are available there are more imaginative stagings. of Shakespeareĺs MacBeth and Marloweĺs Doctor Faustus, modern classics like Shawĺs Androcles and the Lion.
Students will discuss and compare African drama to Asian drama. Below is a description that may be used to show similarities and differences between the arts styles of the two cultures.
European explorers landed on the West Coast of Africa called Nigeria. They were amazed to find civilized kingdoms where beautiful bronze art objects were made and that large cities looked sophisticated. The great kingdoms fell to ruins, but many art forms, folktales, myths, and tribal rituals survived and continue to the present day.
The Yoruba tribe of today, numbering about ten million, are descendants of these ancient kingdoms. Nigeria has modern cities and small villages and try to preserve old tribal ways. They earn their living by farming or raising livestock.
In most parts of Africa, storytellers go from village to village telling tales, usually at night or around a fire. Animals are popular characters in these tales some stories are used to teach moral, others are told for entertainment.
For many centuries, public storytelling in Japan was a profession. The Hanashika, or teller of tales, wore special clothes, used formal language and narrated his tales in a large room. Japanese actors spend years learning to act. Symbolism is a keynote. Gestures are exaggerated, movement and speeches are synchronized. Poses are held by the performer after important speeches. Costumes and makeup are elaborate. Actors paint their faces in expressive, decorative patterns.
Two plays will be concentrated on. Ananasi, the African Spiderman which shares three folktales from West Africa, and Au Wing Fu and the Golden Dragon, a folktale in Chinese theater style, both of which are found in Plays From Folktales of Africa and Asia, by Barbara Winther.
These imaginative dramatizations capture the charm and flavor of these faraway lands, and have the universal elements of humor and wit which are found in folklore. Young people will delight in playing roles of human and animal characters that bring theses plays to life. Both plays are preceded by and authorĺs note giving background information about the story source and costumes, staging, and settings for easy performance. These plays will give students an authentic picture of other times and cultures and are a rich source of lively and enjoyable drama.
We will start off with the folktale of Anansi, the African Spiderman. There are three folktales from West Africa: How Anansi Brought the Stories Down, The First Talking Drum, and Tall-Tale Man. All of these three are very short and can be memorized in a short amount of time. Props and costuming will be fairly easy to get with the help of parent and teacher involvement.
Au Wing Fu wand the Olden Dragon is a folktale in the Chinese theater style. Here students will receive some background on the dragon as a mythical creature which is often found in the folklore of most cultures. Though physical characteristics vary from one country to another, most are related to the snake or crocodile, with scales and the head of a lion, eagle, or hawk. This shows students that we are different in some ways, but very alike in other ways. The myth has it that dragons are destructive, but basically good creatures which helps students to realize that people of other cultures are basically good in nature as well as themselves.
Chinese theater has its own traditions when performed. It is a combination of songs, dances, pantomimes, acrobatics, and stylized acting. The scene of the Chinese theater is different from others in that chairs and tables represent whatever is necessary to set the scene.
Students will use a chair and a table as any object they choose it to be when rehearsing the play. Because colors and patterns are symbolic students must be aware of the meaning of them.
Discuss what exaggerated movements in Chinese theater mean so that students will understand the true meaning of ôAh Wing Fu and the Golden Dragonö. This is another art for of Asia.
Next the parts will be acted out by the students. Once the parts are set discuss the types of costuming that are needed to enhance the play with just the right flare in order to keep the audience pleased. Urge parents to become involved with the production of the play so that they can help prepare costumes, props, advertisements, and other things that will help to make the production a success.
- WeepingŚbend head slightly and raise arm to wipe away tears.
- DespairŚturn palms outward, thumbs pointing down.
- Anger, dismayŚstagger back, flinging arms forward
- HappinessŚraise hands chest high, palms down, then turn hands up and thrust arms forward.
- ThinkingŚhold up index finger near temple.
- RowingŚarms in air, imitate motion of oars.
- SpeakingŚraise hand to cheek and turn to side.
Symbolic colors and patterns of the Chinese theater are; red honesty and loyalty, greenŚdevils, yellowŚstrength and cleverness, blueŚferocity, whiteŚstrength or evil. Leading female characters wear white powder base, with exaggerated black eyeliner, rouge on cheeks, and bright lipstick.
To give an authentic feeling to the production of this play, actors should think of it as a dance which tells a story, using movements which suggest the characters: dainty and flowing for Chin Li; abrupt and stern for Chu Yu, the tiger; and so forth. Voice tones should indicate the characters and emotions.
Pass out a copy of the music symbols such as: Treble clef, bass clef, staff, etc. Discuss the importance of each symbol. Make a comparison of music symbols to symbols of the Chinese theater. Give each student a cop of ôAh Wing Fu and the Golden Dragonö. Read the play aloud as the students follow along.
Finally, it is time for the final preparations; dress rehearsals, and the actual performance. The production of the play of your choice will be enhanced by having the students put to good use learned skills in acting such as the voice and how an actor must speak, building a character using the five senses, and the use of concentration in rehearsal and on stage. As stated before, quite a bit of planning will go into the final production of the play. The students must have costumes, props, special effects, personalized jobs, parent support, skills and techniques. These will enhance the production of the play giving students a sense of accomplishment in both music and drama.
dotted half note
dotted quarter note
3/4 time
music syllables
religious ceremonies
musical notation
Augelli, John P. Caribbean Lands. Michigan: Fideler Co., 1976. A brief history of the Caribbean and the culture.
Berger, Melvin. Putting On A Show. New York: Franklin Watts, 1980. This text is a general guide to the theatrical production. It is a plotbehind-the-scenes glimpse of a part of the theater that is usually physical actionshidden from view.
Boiko, Claire. Dramatized Parodies of Familiar Stories. Boston: Plays, Inc., 1980. Original song lyrics set to well-known melodies.
Campbell, Ken. The Caribbean. London: Macdonald Educational tombsLimited Holywell House, 1980. Based on the highly successful Countries series. The book has a simple, clear text, over lOO illustrations, and a comprehensive reference section giving detailed information on the states and the people of the Caribbean Islands.
Carlson, Bernice Wells. Letĺs Find the Big Idea. Nashville: Abingdon, 1982. A collection of skits and plays based on traditional fables and stories.
Cummings, Richard. 101 Costumes for All Ages, All Occasions. Boston: Publishers Plays, INc. 1987. Directions and illustration of costumes that may be used for all occasions.
Fisher, Aileen Lucia. Year-round Programs for Young Players. Boston: Plays, Inc., 1985. Plays, skits, poems, choral readings, spelldowns, and recitations.
Fuller, Edmund. Drama History and Criticism. New York: Crowell, 1965. A history of drama and the theater.
Hughes, Langston. Black Magic. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1968. A pictorial history of American entertainment.
Judy, Susan and Stephen. Gifts of Writing; Creative Projects With Words and Art. New York: Charles Scribnerĺs Sons, 1980. This volume consists of a series of projects encouraging both creative writing and the artistic presentation of that writing.
McCallum, Andrew. Fun With Statecraft. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, 198Z. This book introduces the layman to the language and craft of the theater.
Newman, Grant. Teaching Children Music. Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, 1983. This is a guide to assist students in accomplishing specific objectives and goals, vocabulary words, and will extend experiences in music.
Rubenstein, Barbara. Ready, Set, Read! A Creative System for Teaching Competent Note Reading to Children. Illinois: Creative Music Development Company, 1984.
Samachson, Dorothy and Joseph. The Dramatic Story of the Theatre. New York: AbelardŚSchuman, 1955. A comparatively brief history of the theater throughout the world.
Samachson, Dorothy and Joseph. Letĺs Meet the Theatre. New York: AbelardŚSchuman, 1964. Illustrated with more than 60 photographs, personal interviews with top theater personalities. This is a story of living American theater on Broadway, off Broadway, in playhouses, summer theater, and college and high school theater.
Schauffler, Rober. MusicŚQuotations, Maxima, Etc.. New York: Dodd Mead & Company, 1935. The magic of music, contest, games, plays, etc..
Sternberg, Patricia. On Stage. How to Put on a Play. New York: Julian Messner, 1982. This insiderĺs guide covers everything needed to put on a play successfully.
Tchudi, Susan J. Playwriting. New York: Scribner, 1982. Putting on a play: a guide to drama.
Turner, Glennette Tilley. Take A Walk in Their Shoes. New York: Cobblehill Books, 1989. Presents biographical sketches of fourteen notable blacks. Dramatization.
Walker, Pamela Prince. Seven Steps to Creative Childrenĺs Dramatics. New York: Hill and Wang, 1957. Instructs how to cast and produce a play. Has three original scripts.
Winther, Barbara. Plays from Folktales of Africa and Asia. Boston: Plays, Inc., 1976. One-act, royalty free dramatizations for young people adapted from stories and legends of Africa and Asia.
Contents of 1993 Volume III | Directory of Volumes | Index | Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute


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The artworks on Harold Corbin's walls in Madison, Miss., are full of memories.
"Art needs to be not just a purchase but an experience," says Corbin, 54, who has collected hundreds of paintings, prints and lithographs. "You've got a memory behind it."
Corbin, who developed an interest in art while in college, began buying art — often by Mississippi artists — after he had established his career as an accountant. He vividly recalls where he bought most of the pieces.
"I had no idea I was collecting art," says Corbin. "I bought some pieces I liked. More and more, it became what I did."
Purchasing art can be intimidating, but the joy of owning a collection of original works is worth it, Corbin and others say. Building a collection means learning more about the art world and about what you like, and finding a theme — whether it's subject matter, medium, artists or style — that ties the works together.
Collecting is "more methodic than just starting out there with no guidance," explains Catherine Evans, curator of photography at the Columbus Museum of Art. There needs to be "some narrowing or defining of what resonates with you."
A good place to start is by consulting with gallery owners, museum curators and artists, who often are eager to share their knowledge.
"That's their profession," said Corbin. "I haven't seen a time when they didn't want to talk about it."
Jumaane N'Namdi, director of the G.R. N'Namdi Gallery in Chicago, which focuses on contemporary abstract art, considers it part of his job to create the next generation of collectors. He tries to make people feel welcome in the gallery.
"It's OK to just go in there and walk around in circles," he says.
He urges potential buyers to do research. "That doesn't mean go read art books, because that's not realistic," he says. "Visit galleries. Allow yourself to grow with art."
He has organized a club for potential collectors who want to learn more. Members attend lectures, meet artists and gather to discuss art.
"I'm trying to introduce a culture," says N'Namdi. "It's bigger than, 'Are you going to get something today?'"
Many museums also sponsor clubs dedicated to helping people learn more about art.
Members of the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, for instance, can join a New Collector's Club, which offers private tours, visits with artists and other events. Beth Batton, curator of the museum's collection, encourages people to visit museums and galleries and figure out what medium they like. Then seek good examples of it.
"Educate your eye," she says. "If you find you really like photography, try to understand the techniques."
Figure out why certain pieces of art move you, adds Aprile Gallant, curator of prints, drawings and photos for the Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton, Mass. The theme you choose can be broad, she says, and can focus on an activity, place or era.
Having a focus gives a collection coherence and personality, and also can help art buyers choose more wisely, Batton says.
"It keeps you from spending money on an impulse purchase," she says.
Buyers who know what they want can find pieces at a variety of prices. "You don't have to have a huge income to be able to start an art collection," Batton says.
Corbin considers his collection priceless not because of its monetary value but because of the pleasure it brings him.
"I still have some of the original paintings I bought for $10," he says. "I still enjoy them."
It doesn't necessarily cost much more to buy an original work of art than it would a reproduction, Gallant says.
"It's worth the time and energy to have something like that in (your) life," she says. "It's sad that art is so intimidating to people. People who love art wish it was a part of more people's lives."


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Miley Cyrus Slant Eye Asian Pose Infuriates Asian Groups
Yesterday a picture surfaced of teenage pop sensation Miley Cyrus and several of her friends, including a young Asian man. Due to them wearing crosses and having a good time, it seemed pretty clear that they were having fun while spreading the good word. Asian groups are crying foul though, citing the Miley Cyrus slant eye Asian picture is very offensive.
According to sources at Reuters, the OCA (who looks out out Pacific Asians, or the Island types) demanded an apology from Miley and had this to say:
"Not only has Miley Cyrus and the other individuals in the photograph encouraged and legitimized the taunting and mocking of people of Asian descent, she has also insulted her many Asian Pacific American friends," OCA executive director George Wu in a statement issued on Monday.
Wu said the fact that an Asian friend was included in the photo "does not make it acceptable."
I think it's horrible to prejudge Miley as she was clearly only having a good time, engaging in the type of friendship that's commonly associated with doing missionary work.
The fact that these interest groups are so quick to stereotype and make accusations is truly sad and not befitting morality.
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Shocked
- Sad
- Angry


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Thursday, January 10, 2013 12:05 PM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
CNN's Larry King, left, talks with former Alabama Gov. George Wallace before an interview at the governor's mansion in Montgomery Monday, Nov. 11, 1996. This marks the first time Wallace has been back at the mansion in 10 years. There s a lot of happy memories for me here, but some sad ones too, Wallace told King for a segment expected to air in the next few weeks. (AP Photo/Montgomery Advertiser, Mark Miller)
Related articles
- Birmingham Public Library panel to examine Gov. George Wallace's role in the civil rights struggle September 08, 2013, 6:17 PM
- George Wallace's 1963 inaugural address: A speech that lives in infamy (slideshow, video) January 10, 2013, 3:10 PM
- Read George Wallace's full 1963 inauguration speech January 14, 2013, 12:00 PM


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