Sunday, February 13, 2011

Posts to Come

I wish I could say I spent the last week or so recharging my batteries and getting myself ready to go for spring training. But the truth is I probably did as much writing the last week as I usually do, maybe more. But, for whatever reason, most of it was fruitless writing. I have about 10 incomplete projects just staring at me. I have a friend who, when I get into this mode, will bark at me Marty Schottenheimer's advice: "Focus and finish." I have no trouble focusing. I will, on occasion, run into trouble finishing.

In any case, because I have a series of posts that are about 2/3 done, I can give you yet another list of Posts To Come. And these come with the same assurances that all my "Posts to Come" teasers come with: There's a very good chance I won't finish any of them.

Then again, I might. Here's our tentative list:

-- A look at the most "interesting" Gold Glove winners ever.

-- The meaning of 30 home runs.

-- A Chuck E. Cheese birthday party.*

*What is Chuck's middle name?** Edward? Edgar?

**And why did Charles Schwab start going with the "Chuck" name. Is he supposed to be more informal now?

-- A review of the iPad.

-- The 32 greatest defensive players in NFL history.

-- The 32 best sports books.

-- A detailed look at hitters at home and on the road.

-- Pujols, St. Louis, and the importance of being a legend.

-- Behind the back page ... returning to Cleveland.

-- Oscar predictions.

-- Another interview with a guy who got more hits than anyone ever.

-- The all-time team by 20 year eras.

-- Thoughts on the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

-- The best mainstream acting performances of the last 25 years.

And so on. Vote for your choices below. You can also write in your requests for spring training stories, if you have any such requests.
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74 comments:

  1. For me, definitely the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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  2. The best mainstream acting performances of the last 25 years. I did a post on the top female acting performances since 1990 recently: http://clionsroar.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/top-10-female-acting-performances-since-2000/

    I also study and rank acting performances pretty regularly. I have never gone back as far as 25 years, but am pretty confident in saying there is not an acting performance of the past 10-15 years better than Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood.

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  3. I vote for acting/oscars. You've done a lot of baseball lately, and spring training hasn't even started. I feel there will be plenty of time for that (say, 8 months?). Let's do something else.

    And by let's, I mean you.

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  4. "All-time team by 20 year eras" for what sport?

    I look forward to all of them.

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  5. - The meaning of 30 home runs.
    - The 32 best sports books.

    I'd love to read these two.

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  6. I've been willing to buy a bunch of sports books on Amazon for quite some time now, so I'd vote for the "32 Best Sports Books".

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  7. Oh, and could you do politics... in which you talk about the lack of political influence in your writing? You are impressively good at avoiding the jungle. I feel I would get a lot out of that.

    I actually don't care which way you vote (if you vote).

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  8. If you've got the time, I highly recommend taking your family to see the special presentation of the Best Animated Short film nominees. Not only are they all age appropriate for all ages, but they are also terrific films that should strie a chord to everyone. It should be playing in the Tivoli through next week.

    And it may help you gain a perspective on Oscar predictions.

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  9. Anything baseball-related gets my vote.

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  10. I've been looking forward to the 32 best sports books post for a while.

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  11. I wouldn't mind seeing you jump into the Matt Cain discussion

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  12. I hope this isn't taken the wrong way. Amy Nelson did a fine job with The Rehabilitation of Jim Joyce's Image Sentimental.

    But I felt it was 50% incomplete. That piece, for that circumstance, needed The Armando Galarraga 7 Months After Perfection Complement.

    What About Galarraga?

    What happens to a great kid like Galarraga all these months later? Besides being shipped off to another league, of course. But what about The Rehabilitation of Armando Galarraga?

    Or maybe nobody cares about the kid. I don't know.

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  13. I like the sound of oscar predications and best sports books.

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  14. 32 Sports Books

    Al Time Best Teams by 20 Year Eras

    Best Mainstream Film Acting last 25 Years

    + One you should write

    Review of Piece de resistance(3 lp Vinyl Boot)/Passaic Night complete radio concert in lossless FLAC

    Springsteen Show from Passaic. NJ before The River dropped which was broadcast live across east coast 9/19/78

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  15. Any of the above (though I would pick Best Sports Books as well if I had my choice), followed by Best Mainstream Acting Performances). Just post something. A week without posting is too long. . .

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  16. 1) All-time team
    2) 30 homeruns
    3) Pujols
    (Can you tell I'm ready for baseball season?)
    4) acting performances

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  17. I vote for these 3:

    - Behind the back page ... returning to Cleveland.

    -- A detailed look at hitters at home and on the road.


    -- The 32 best sports books.

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  18. Bulb: You must be talking about the Capital Theater show in '78. I waited on line for tickets in the rain and they sold out right in front of me. Unbelievable concert.

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  19. -- A look at the most "interesting" Gold Glove winners ever.

    -- Pujols, St. Louis, and the importance of being a legend.

    -- Behind the back page ... returning to Cleveland.

    **And why did Charles Schwab start going with the "Chuck" name. Is he supposed to be more informal now?


    Still hoping you'll do a Scott Rolen post, too.

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  20. I simply cannot believe I'm the only one voting for Chuck E. Cheese.

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  21. Charles Entertainment Cheese.

    http://showbizpizza.wikia.com/wiki/Chuck_E._Cheese

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  22. Preferences, in order:

    -- Oscar predictions.

    -- The 32 best sports books.

    -- A look at the most "interesting" Gold Glove winners ever.

    -- Behind the back page ... returning to Cleveland.

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  23. I say 32 best NFL Defensive players and sports books (I love the top 32 posts)

    The meaning of 30 Homers also intrigues me as well as the all-time teams by 20yr eras.

    Thanks as always Joe

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  24. For some reason I love the ongoing 'The iPad review is coming' bit. There's a part of me that hopes you never finish it and keep telling us you will.

    With that said, it seems to be everywhere I look, so feel free to tell us how horrible it is and how we shouldn't go out and buy one..... thus breaking us free from the temptation.

    Spring training stories top my list. I love hearing about guys just getting into camp and reconnecting with their teams. I know it must be bittersweet, leaving their friends back home and families - but they get to play baseball, man!

    Finally, Chuck E. Cheese is fantastic. My son was born on Christmas Eve, so having a big birthday party every year on Dec 24th is out - so we just go to Chuck E. Cheese with one of his friends every year. There's never anyone there, and the people that work there are always awesome. Also? All of the games are exactly 1 token ($0.25).

    BTW, as always, love the blog!

    -Paul

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  26. Did you finish the 32 most complete players in baseball history (if you did I missed it) or did you shelf it? I was really looking forward to that one.

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  27. I am a selfish S.O.B. I want to see ALL of it. I mean, who reads this blog for the subject matter? Whatever Joe writes is fine with me.

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  28. There's something charming about the way you keep promising the IPad review, Joe. Sort of the way it's admirable that Carlie Brown keeps trying to kick the football Lucy's holding. There's something optimistic about it. But at this point I think I'd be disappointed to actually get the IPad review. I prefer the quixotic promises that it's coming.

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  29. If you are having some success but can't quite close it out, I'm not sure Marty Schottenheimer is who you want to be listening to.

    I like Pujols, sports books, and all-time team by 20 year eras.

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  30. "Focus and finish."

    That's what she said?

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  31. -- A look at the most "interesting" Gold Glove winners ever.


    -- A Chuck E. Cheese birthday party.*

    -- The 32 best sports books.

    -- Pujols, St. Louis, and the importance of being a legend.

    -- Behind the back page ... returning to Cleveland.

    -- Oscar predictions.

    -- Another interview with a guy who got more hits than anyone ever.

    -- The best mainstream acting performances of the last 25 years.

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  32. I'm voting for Pete Rose. If there's one thing Joe's book taught me, it's that Rose + Posnanski = Awesome.

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  34. Hey Joe,
    I second those who are looking for something baseball-related. It's been a long off-season! Also, I'd be interested to see you evaluate the KC prospects. I've heard a lot about how terrific they are, I'd like to hear your thoughts on each one's strengths/weaknesses, what might realistically be expected of them (if such a thing is possible).

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  35. I wish you would do the 32 best golfers post you mentioned a while back. I know it didn't get many votes in the poll, but people would still read it -- and I would love to see your rankings.

    As for the actual choices you listed, I don't mind the baseball stories, but I'd really prefer something else since you write about baseball all the time anyways. I vote for 32 best defensive players and the best acting performances of the last 25 years out of the options.

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  36. While you're making that list of great sports books, I thought I'd put in a word for Lou Sahadi's "The Long Pass." Not really a well known book, but it's a great one.

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  37. Is that NFL Films post not going to happen then? It was neck-and-neck with the 32 Greatest NFL Defenders on that little poll you had.

    I mean, I'll read anything Joe writes, but I love NFL Films and would love to read Joe's thoughts on the importance of it.

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  38. Maybe a random post on John Facenda.

    "The autumn wind is a Raider, pillaging just for fun."

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5CTKlF45Ds&feature=related

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  39. Behind the back page. . . Cleveland

    and All-Time Team by 20 Year Eras (I assume you mean baseball). If you aren't too far into this one, let me suggest 25-year eras. A sort of logic can be shoehorned into the periods 1896-1920; 1921-1945; 1946-1970; 1971-1995. Plus there's less trouble with a great player dominating two eras. Plus I've already done the work, and all you would need to do is correct it, improve it, refine it, and copyright it.

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  40. iPad review. This is going to be the week, I can feel it. Finally, I'll know whether or not to buy one.

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  41. From the new list:
    1. Pujols
    2. 32 best sports books
    3. hitters at home and on the road

    From prior lists:
    1. what baseball prospects mean

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  42. It's too early for an ipad review. All new toys are great when they are first got - it can do this and that and it's new and shiney etc. Thing is, is it still in high rotation once someone has owned it for a year. Joe should hold off another 6 months before thinking about doing that review.

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  43. Please, just no more MLB HOF stuff for at least a few months. I would stare at that last headline about HOF pitchers everyday this past week and wonder if you had been abducted at the Super Bowl.

    Perhaps you were one of the attendees in Arlington's Jerry World who did not have a seat and you've been busy pondering your choices ever since...?

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  44. See if Motorola will give you a Xoom and review that instead.

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  45. I like many of your ideas but feel very strongly that the iPad review should never be written. Not because you wouldn't do a tremendous job but because I think it should be this blog's inside joke. Every list of coming articles should include it.

    (By the way, commented here from mine. When I got mine, my wife said she would never use it. A month later I had to buy a second one because I couldn't get it back from my wife. I needed it for testing as I write software for it!)

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  46. <And why did Charles Schwab start going with the "Chuck" name. Is he supposed to be more informal now?<

    Has there ever been a less likely candidate to be called Chuck?

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  48. 32 greatest defensive players
    Oscar Picks

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  49. I like many of your ideas but feel very strongly that the iPad review should never be written. Not because you wouldn't do a tremendous job but because I think it should be this blog's inside joke. Every list of coming articles should include it.
    For this to work, though, we the public do need to keep demanding it. So, my vote is: iPad review!

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  50. iPad or iProcrastinate? I laugh every time I see it in your list.

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  52. You know, I think the iPad review joke is just going to keep getting funnier. Even when it becomes a relic of fad electronics past.

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  53. -32 sports books.
    -Return to Cleveland.
    -Chuck E. Cheese, if only because I missed the boat on that as a kid and want to see if my imagination matches reality.

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  54. Without question, THE IPAD REVIEW!!

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  55. 32 best defensive players

    the meaning of 30 HR

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  56. I want to read all of these but especially, 1) iPad review and 2) 32 best posts to come

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  57. I gotta read about the Chuck E Cheese Birthday party through the eyes of Poz. Ya gotta finish that one please :=)

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  58. iPad review gets my vote, but I'm psyched to read all of them.

    FWIW, I'd also totally read a partially-finished post. It's a blog -- some stuff can be less than perfect.

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  59. I have faith in whatever choice you make. They all turn out pretty good.

    Though your take on iPad/Phone vs Android would be interesting. Hmmm... how long would that take?

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  60. 1. Personal stories - always the best
    2. Baseball or Golf related stories
    3. Pop culture stories
    4. Other sports besides football
    5. Football (draft related stuff is still ok)
    6. iPad review - because it will disappoint

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  61. Chuck E Cheese, Pujols and Behind the Back Page

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  62. I'd say you have about a month to get the iPad review done before the iPad 2 comes out and makes it obsolete.

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  63. I was going to suggest the Pujols story, but I get the feeling that you'll be covering that one at some point this year. Probably a few times.

    So I'll go with "the meaning of 30 home runs."

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  64. "A review of the iPad."

    Okay, now you're just f**king with us.

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  65. (This posting method has a problem -- this is the 3rd time I've left this comment.)

    I got to hear Nolan Bushenell (founder of Atari and Chuck E Cheese) speak about ten years ago, and he tells an interesting story about the founding of CEC. He had the idea that eating out, for children, is a bad experience (have to sit still, have to be quiet, the food is too spicy), so his idea was to make a restaurant the exact opposite, for children. When the costume/artwork (I don't remember which) showed up, the team didn't know what to say; it was a big rat, and there was no way they could use a rat to promote a restaurant. He says one bright guy said "Hey, I know, we'll call it Chuck E Cheese." They looked at him and asked "Why?" Bushnell says the guy explained "because you can't say it without smiling!"

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  67. Pujols and the whole "legend" idea, and why we don't have them anymore (They don't stay with one team? Overuse of hyperbole, so we have no words to describe the truly great? We know too much about athlete's lives to idolize them?)

    Chuck E Cheese (Did he used to go by "Charles?)

    Gold Glove

    Best acting for 25 years

    Return to Cleveland

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  68. - 32 best sports books
    - Pujols
    - Home/road splits
    - All-time by era
    - Football HOF

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  69. Pujols, St. Louis, and the importance of being a legend

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  70. What happened to Exit Through the Gift Shop?

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  71. I'd like to vote for Pujols/St. Louis/legend. I've experienced two "legend" signings in my fannish life (well, three, if one counts Clemente and the Pirates back in the late 60s, but that was a different era) -- Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer, both Twins. Both of them gave the team a "hometown discount" when they could have gotten lots more in the market. Is it the culture of the Twins that brought that about? Willingness to meet halfway? For Puckett, at the time they were playing the Dome, not the best baseball park, but Puck did play it well. The St. Louis fans are as knowledgeable as any; is it the front office? I'm curious about your read on the situation. [Although, if I recall, Mauer also gave the Twins the "no talking after spring training" edict too, and there didn't seem to be the same animosity.]

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  72. can you write a story on the toronto blue jays?

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  73. Great blog...

    Spring training story:

    Oliver Perez - Starter, Reliever, or Releasee?

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  74. 1. Return to Cleveland

    2. Return to Cleveland (you're one of the few who gets us)

    3. Sports books

    4. Best acting performance (It's clearly Aaron Paul, but I'd still like to hear your thoughts.)

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