Author: Travis J. Cook

Georgia On My Mind: Analyzing the 2013 Hall of Fame Vote

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maddux

I originally started this last night. I still have memories of last year’s announcement, when nobody got in on a ballot that was absolutely STACKED with candidates.  I knew that this year would be different, but that did nothing to quiet the suspicions I had gnawing away in my gut, the suspicions that the BBWAA just didn’t get it. That they wouldn’t agree on one person, let alone three or four. That someone like poor Frank Thomas would be sitting on the outside looking in because 25% + of writers disagreed on the DH as a position of merit. (For the record, I loathe the rule, but it exists, and there are undoubtedly players who excel in that role. See: Ortiz, David.)

Consequently, when I began this draft, I was only able to write the bare bones outlines of four optional drafts. For posterity’s sake, I’ve included them below:

Option A:

Holy balls, four people got in.

Option B:

Cool, three people are in.

Option C:

Meh, only two? At least it’s Maddux and…dear god, I hope the writers aren’t morons.

Option D:

hall of fame sriracha

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A New Year: An Update on the Addison Recorder

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recorderstaff

Happy New Year everyone from the frozen tundra of Chiberia! (Which is in the running for the stupidest weather related names in history!)

It was a long and productive 2013 for the Addison Recorder staff. However, time marches on, and we’re approaching 2014 with several goals in mind to increase our reader’s enjoyment of our little culture blog out here in the wastes of Ice Station Lakeview. One of the biggest comments we’ve received (both internally and externally) is the irregularity of our postings. While it’s easy to offer up the excuse that we (the editors) are four busy people with busy lives, that’s little excuse in terms of maintaining a finger on the ever-shifting pulse of popular culture.

With this in mind, we’re starting 2014 by looking to significantly boost our productivity here at the Recorder. The first step we’ve taken to achieving this goal is to expand our staff of writers. When I first had the idea for this website back in 2012, I wanted to maintain a steady, significant presence on the Internet, posting updates on the hot button issues of our tempestuous modern culture. By adding writers, we hope to not only add to the number of subjects we’re observing/analyzing/critiquing, but to expand on our perspectives as well. (At our meeting, it was noted that we’ve got a solid collection of white males between the ages of 26-32 writing for the site…and very little else.)

On that note, it pleases me to welcome the newest additions to the Addison Recorder family: Karen Martin, Christopher Walsh, Christina Brandon, and Meryl Williams. You’ll get to know them over time as they begin to contribute articles of their own, and can already get a taste for Karen’s work with her review of Disney’s Frozen!

In addition to hiring new staff members, we’ve also got several other elements in the works:

  • Updating our long-dormant Twitter account and maintaining a steadier social media presence.
  • A more vibrant update on Facebook
  • J. and Andrew will be providing regular coverage of the 2014 Olympics, though the rest of us will be chiming in from time to time.
  • It’s almost Oscar season, which means it’s time for Alex’s head to implode once again! Keep track of that on the Recorder!
  • It’s only a few weeks until pitchers and catchers report, and Travis will be keeping track of all MLB action with newfound fervor this year!

The biggest thing to help grow the Recorder, though, is something that each of you, dear readers, can contribute to with relative ease: tell your friends about us! Spread the word of our musings to your family and coworkers! Tell us what you think about what we’re doing! It is our goal to provide you with the cultural commentary that you want, or that you need, or that you always needed but never knew you wanted, and the best way for us to do that is to know what you want/need. Feel free to comment away here, or on Facebook, or on Twitter, and we’ll look to provide you with the best content that we can.

On that note, take a moment and enjoy Travis and Alex debating the merits and flaws of Tolkien, or stay tuned for more updates on the Baseball Hall of Fame, or check out Andrew’s thoughts on American Hustle. Whatever you do, we hope that you’re enjoying the ride as much as we are, and that you’re looking forward to what 2014 has to offer as much as the staff of the Addison Recorder.

Happy reading!

Travis J. Cook, founder, co-editor, narcissist galore

How Would You Touch Me?: Spike Jonze’s Her

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her1

I used to have an OKCupid profile. It led to…well, nothing much, really. I’m not very good at dating. Most of my relationships to date have come about by my being in the right place at the right time. I tried online dating for a bit as a way to try and broaden my options. However, it just never felt right. Meeting people/talking online was weird. The lack of personal interaction was bizarre, to say the least. When the time came to finally meet people, there was an overt familiarity that lent itself towards social anxiety. This may be a case that many of you find familiar, or it may simply be me being socially awkward. Judging by my lack of OKCupid success, I’d lean towards the latter.

Anyway, one thing I continually noticed on the site was listed under a section titled “Things I couldn’t live without.” Around 90% of the time, people had their phone listed. The reasons varied, yet the unassailable uniting factor was that their phone had become such a large part of their life, whether through social communication, apps, or whatever the fuck Yelp is supposed to do, people found that their daily lives could no longer continue without them. It had become almost a part of them, a “significant other”, to use the term lightly (“other” meaning a strange object outside the realm of nature and “significant” meaning…well, significant). It’s only a matter of time before you see phrases everywhere like “I’m in love with my phone”.

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Breaking Down the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot, Part 3: The Whole Truth

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Who will join these men in Cooperstown?

Who will join these men in Cooperstown?

By now, I’m sure you can agree that this is a stacked Hall of Fame ballot. If you don’t, you should probably go back to watching whatever sports are popular in your tiny, remote-as-balls corner of the world. (Probably Beulah, Wyoming.) This year, the ballot was so deep that when filling out my own choices, I had to leave people off because you’re only allowed to vote for ten. The following players are whom I voted for on my official IBWAA ballot, results to be announced in January:

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Breaking Down the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot, Part 2: The Newcomers

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hall of fame5

I want to talk here for a bit about memory, specifically as it pertains to sports.

It’s no lie to suggest that we grow up around sports, that they are imbued in our national consciousness from an early age. As we grow, we attend gym class, which at the time is something that we’re pretty sure is engineered to destroy the self-esteem of nerds and fat kids everywhere. Football becomes a religious experience on Saturdays and Sundays for many of us, and Opening Day and Spring Training hold equal power as we emerge from the bleak midwinter. Gentlemen on skates hoisting a giant, silver bucket over their heads becomes a sight worth crying over. Sometimes, the stars of a given sport leak over into our Bugs Bunny cartoons, saving the earth from alien monsters, yet dooming us to have to watch “Space Jam” every now and then.

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Breaking Down the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot, Part 1: The Holdovers

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hall of fame2

It’s time for that annual holiday tradition (well, winter months-esque tradition, though I’m finding that this week is surprisingly suited towards writing a 3-part, 10,000 word diatribe on the Baseball Hall of Fame) wherein I take 36 famous baseball players and render them for your observing pleasure. This year’s ballot is, as was predicted, even more crammed full than last year’s ballot, and equally full of uncertainty regarding its outcome (except for one case, which I’ll get to in Part II). Nobody has any real clue of what’s about to happen, although I’m sure if Nate Silver were feeling bored, he could accurately predict who’s making it in and who will be left out in the cold. Then again, he’s got better things to do – like politics.

Last year’s Hall of Fame ballot was particularly notable for not electing a single person to the hallowed shrine of America’s pastime – except for three dead men, one of whom actively campaigned to keep blacks and other minorities from the game. This year will be different – if only because Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa, and Bobby Cox will be inducted following their unanimous election on the Veteran’s Committee ballot. (More on that in Part III) What remains a question, however, is which players will be standing up there with them when the summer rolls along.

For that, I present to you this guide to the 36 players who will be on the ballot this year. For the ease of reading – and to ease the suffering on my fingers – I’ll be alternately keeping this short and breaking this into 3 separate articles, to be published over the course of the week. Part 1 comes out today, with Part 2 coming on Tuesday, and Part 3 coming Friday afternoon (with a two day split for Christmas and Boxing Day – I’m sure the Recorder is big in Alberta, after all). Part 2 will deal with the ballot newcomers, whilst Part 3 will wrap up everything I’ve covered, reveal my IBWAA (Internet Baseball Writers Association of America) ballot – yes, I actually voted for the Hall of Fame this year, but not in any official capacity! – and talk about what I think will actually happen when the vote tally’s are released in January. For now, enjoy Part I – the Holdovers from Ballots Prior.

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MLB Awards 2013: Meet the (New) Boss; Plus a Brief Look at the Veteran’s Hall of Fame Ballot

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miguel cabrera

Honestly, after seeing 12 Years A Slave last night, everything else seems trivial. This was something we talked about last night, about how everything else seemed less. But here’s the thing: an hour later, we were all laughing about Air Bud: 7th Inning Fetch. Because humor is important, too. It makes us human, makes life enjoyable. Baseball isn’t quite humor, but it accentuates life rather than detracts from it. (Unless you’re an Indians fan. Whee!)

With that in mind, a brief mailbag, followed by my picks for the major MLB awards, and an (oh-so) brief discussion of this year’s Modern Era Ballot from the Veteran’s Committee on the Hall of Fame.

Let’s begin.

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12 Years A Slave: A Letter to the World

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Dear America,

Tonight, I attended a showing of 12 Years A Slave with fellow writers Andrew and Alex, as well as Alex’s wife.

There are absolutely no words to describe this film, other than it is an utter masterpiece, and possibly the hardest piece of cinema I’ve ever encountered.

Every citizen should see this film. It transcends the petty notions of awards season, the previous depictions of slavery, and other such documentations of American history.

We all struggled to encapsulate exactly how we felt after viewing the film. All I can say is to bring a towel, because Kleenex will not cut it.

This should be mandatory viewing for every American citizen. For every human being.

It is because of it’s unflinching nature and brutal depictions of history that every living, breathing human should see this film. Some might be scared by its graphic nature, or its harrowing documentation of what humans are capable of in their darkest moments. It is because of these very truths that you and every one you know should find the nearest screening of this film and see it.

You will not look at things the same after watching this. I guarantee this.

We debated who should write the review/critique of this film after we left the theatre. In the days to come, as we come to grips with what we saw in the film, we might offer commentary upon the powerful imagery of the film, which again, I stress is some of the most powerful images I’ve seen in my years of film study. For the time being, this must suffice.

There are no other words.

Yours truly,

Travis

Big Papi Eats Planets: World Series Wrap-Up; MLB Postseason Coverage 2013

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david ortiz

Welcome to the final edition of the Addison Recorder’s (sporadically) running series “MLB Postseason Coverage 2013”. I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth over the past few days/four games, in part because of a trip home with unreliable Internet connections, and in part because I became very invested in watching the World Series.

I mean, after all, it was kind of exciting.

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The Unhittable Michael Wacha: World Series Game 2 Wrap-Up – MLB Postseason Coverage 2013

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Michael-Wacha

See, I told you this was exciting.

Last night, the Cardinals rallied past the Red Sox in the top of the 7th inning, thanks to a series of defensive miscues by Boston and timely clutch hitting by Carlos Beltran. (Glad to see that he’s capable of playing and helping out, as opposed to skulking in the dugout with a nasty rib injury.) However, the story of the night, or the one that the media would want to frame for you, is that Michael Wacha is the best thing since sliced bread.

Which, to be fair, he may be, but then again, he may not. (By the way, who gives a f^$& about an Oxford comma?)

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