What do D-backs dream of,
When they take a little D-backs snooze?
Do they dream of mauling Padres,
Or Salma Hayek in her snake-skin suit?
Ok, I suppose it should be Penelope Cruz, but I couldn't quite work out how to make that scan. And the whole Hayek/snake thing out of From Dusk Till Dawn does kinda tie in quite nicely with the Diamondbacks. It's an off-day for our team today, since we are heading back from Washington, and prepare for a home-stand against the Reds and Rockies [I think it is: hey, it's an off-day, so I'm not going to look it up. Sue me]. Instead, after the jump, there's a bunch of random stuff. I don't quite know the full details myself yet, so follow me there for unfocused rambling. Or "business as usual," if you like.
I dreamed about the Diamondbacks the other night. They were playing the Dodgers, but it seemed that the game was taking place in the middle of the street, because there were people watching it while waiting for a bus. Manny Ramirez gave a spirited defense of his use of performance-enhancing drugs: I can't remember the specifics, but it had something to do with the fans demanding homers. It was quite convincing at the time, but I couldn't stay to hear the end of it, since my bus arrived.It's not the first time the team have showed up on the periphery of my unconsciousness, but I can only recall odd fragments. It's usually me watching them play a game somewhere or other. There was one time that Chase Field had been converted into a theme-park. Well, the rides and stuff were all around the outside of the stadium, which was now done up in a mountain theme. Or there was another one where I was peeved, because Justin Upton ran out of the stadium to catch a foul ball - which was fine, except the runner on first scored on a three-base sacrifice fly. Mind you, J-Up was playing left-field, and that disconcerted me a bit.
I'm curious as to whether any readers here also find the team - individually or as a group - showing up in their dreams. I guess it makes sense that they'd do so, especially during the baseball season, when the sport in general (and the D-backs in particular) are far and away the biggest consumer of my conscious thoughts. There's a theory that dreams are the brain housekeeping - clearing out the detritus from the day, and working out what needs to be added to the permanent record. Certainly, most of the 2010 season probably falls into the former category, so I'm happy if this all means it's being flushed down the drain.
Something else I need your input on. I'll be doing a poll on the best and worst commercial of 2010, and am looking for nominations in both categories. This is something discussed in a Gameday Thread a couple of weeks ago, but it seemed to be the ones that people hated which got most discussion. The only advert mentioned in a positive light were the Geigo ones, featuring Randy Johnson, R. Lee Ermey and Andres Cantor, though I personally would also throw in the Ally Bank advert with the little girl not getting the pony. More suggestions of ones we can tolerate are welcome. Here are the current "hate" nominees; which five should make the final cut, or what have I missed?
- Brown Hand Center
- Sanderson Ford "Talking Babies"
- Goldberg & Osborne
- SRP "Steve Nash"
- Chas Roberts "Husband in fridge"
- BeenVerified.com
- Just For Men hair color
We've been given our first idea of what the Spring Training complex in Scottsdale will be like, and it looks pretty cool. My first instinct is that it feels a bit like Camelback Ranch, where the Dodgers and White Sox play, with visitors getting to walk past the practice fields on their way into the stadium. And, the Chicago Cubs please note, it is not being funded by local taxpayers or other Cactus League teams. I am thinking there needs to be a SnakePit outing for Opening Day there next spring. This will take significant planning in advance, since it'll probably mean taking the day off work, but I think it'll be worth the effort to be there for the first-ever game. Who's with me?
And if you haven't already noticed, check out soco's vintage baseball call to arms. Personally, I'm looking forward to using some vintage verbiage [NSFW, language]. :-) Ok, that'll do, as I'm going to enjoy the freedom of not having to work on anything else the rest of the day.