“Summer in
the City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful nearly always appears when anyone puts
together a list of “Top Summer Songs”. While I like the song, I really prefer a
more positive vibe to my summer songs than gritty necks and blowing horns. “Do
You Believe In Magic” has nothing directly to do with summer, but it’s great
for pool parties, afternoons at the beach, or just cruising down the highway on
a nice summer day.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
#66 Tenderness -- General Public (1985)
The
English Beat was the best of the 1980s British “ska-rock” bands, with such
great songs as “I Confess”, “Mirror in the Bathroom”, and “Too Nice To Talk To”.
Although they never even hit the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., despite getting
considerable airplay on alternative and progressive FM radio stations, they
begat both the Fine Young Cannibals and General Public, both of whom had more
chart success. “Tenderness” is wonderfully infectious despite its unusual
structure (short simple chorus but two different bridges) and tricky rhythm,
and it also features some nice twists in the lyrics (“My luck’s like a button, can’t
stop pushing it”).
Serendipity #12
Am I the Same Girl – Swing Out Sister (1992)
Heard 4/29/2014 shortly after 6:00 at Jerry’s Subs in Gaithersburg
(Shady Grove)
Monday, April 28, 2014
April 27, 2014 – Padres 4, Nationals 2 – Nationals Park
Umpires:
HP: Marvin Hudson. 1B: Cory Blaser. 2B: Ben May. 3B: Doug Eddings.
Weather:
60 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 7
mph, In from LF.
T: 3:12.
Att:
34,873.
Section
107, Row FF, Seats 5-6 (lower level, down the left field line, just barely in
foul territory, in the sun for most of the game)
Four weeks
into the 2014 season, the Nats have a modest 14-12 record, 4 games behind
Atlanta (and ½ game in back of the Mets). Just finished off an 11-game
homestand, going 5-6. Still more potential than consistent performance, and a
continuation of their unsettling trend of key players not being able to stay
healthy. (2014 seems to be the Year of the Hand.)
Sunday’s
showing was not particularly inspiring. The Nats started out well, notching a
first-inning run on consecutive doubles by Rendon and Werth, but would not get
another hit against San Diego starter Ian Kennedy until the seventh. Nate
McLouth managed a solo homer against Joaquin Benoit in the eighth, perhaps in a
bid to prove to us skeptics that Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie” is not one of the worst
walk-up songs ever.
For the
Nats, starting pitcher Taylor Jordan didn’t seem to be particularly sharp,
although he held the Padres to just one run in four innings before being
double-switched out of the game. (Turns out he had the flu.) Ross Detweiler
managed to retire just 4 of the 9 batters he faced, and Aaron Barrett added to
the damage by issuing two bases-loaded walks, giving the Padres a 4-1 lead.
Werth provided some hope by leading off the bottom of the ninth with a single,
but the rally went no further, as Huston Street collected his ninth save in as
many opportunities.
I headed
down a little early given the Jordan Zimmermann bobblehead giveaway, and did
run into a bit of backup around noon on the GW Parkway getting on to the 14th
Street Bridge. Parking in HH also seemed heavier than usual. Was in plenty of
time to get a bobblehead, though, as they still seemed to be available at least
through 12:50. (Fortunately the Nats have gone back to having giveaway items
available at all gates, instead of just at the centerfield entrance as was the
case last year.) Went with the chicken shawarma from Shawafel, very near our
section – good, but overpriced even by ballpark standards at $11.00.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
April 26, 2014 – Nationals 4, Padres 0 – Nationals Park
Umpires:
HP: Doug Eddings. 1B: Marvin Hudson. 2B: Cory Blaser. 3B: Jim Joyce.
Weather:
66 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 12
mph, In from LF.
T: 2:19.
Att:
31,590.
Section
131, Row U, Seats 9-10 (lower level, just beyond first base, not too far from
the field, so was able to go with short sleeves and no jacket for the first
time since the home opener)
The Nats
didn’t get Tanner Roark as the first pick in the draft (Strasburg), or pick him
up in a blockbuster trade (Gonzalez, Fister). He was a 25th-round
draft pick after pitching for a couple months in an independent league, never
appeared on top prospect lists, didn’t do anything especially noteworthy in the
minor leagues, was acquired by the Nats from the Rangers in a minor deal at the
2010 trade deadline, and wasn’t added to the team’s 40-man roster after an
undistinguished 2012 season at AAA Syracuse (6-17, 4.39 ERA). Many still
mispronounce his name with one syllable (it’s ROW-ark). Tom Boswell has a nice
column in today’s Post chronicling his modest start and recent achivevements.
This
afternoon, Roark was magnificent, producing the team’s first complete game of
the year in an ultra-efficient 105 pitches, more than 2/3 of them strikes. He
was perfect into the sixth inning, until Padres catcher Rene Rivera managed a one-out
single to center. San Diego managed only two other hits, and Roark only walked
one batter.
Meanwhile,
the Padres were channeling the worst aspects of the early-season Nationals,
allowing 3 first-inning runs and being charged with 3 errors. (Their most
critical misplay, when second baseman Jedd Gyorko couldn’t handle a likely
double-play grounder by Jayson Werth in the first, was initially also scored as
an error but later changed to a hit.*) The Nats managed only one more run the
rest of the game, but their modest offensive output was more than enough for
Roark.
Traffic
was relatively uneventful both ways, although I can’t quite figure out the
recurring Legion Bridge slowdowns on the way back from games this year. Took
advantage of both the $5 beer and 2-for-1 hot dog coupons.
* -
5/15/2014 update: heard on a Nats broadcast this week that, upon a few weeks of
further review, they changed the play back to an error.
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