I've changed the URL to my blog to "mudanemandaa", as I did with the rest of my social media. Being a Muskie will never change. Despite my tendencies to follow routines and order as much as possible, change is sometimes wanted, needed and totally okay. In honor of this post being baseball-centric, here are some softball-related photos of yours truly back in the day:
Yeah, you can clearly tell I loved the sport.. ha. I don't have any action photos with me; let's hope the old man keeps those somewhere safe back in Illinois.
Recently I've been getting back to watching movies for beyond entertainment purposes. The podcast Soapbox Office, gives me a new perspective on films and why it's imperative to seek out quality works, both the well-known and hidden gems. As my two favorite musicians are probably considered non-mainstream, getting into films that aren't considered well-known or popular makes me feel positive; the people working on the flicks and the flicks themselves will live on and won't be forgotten.
Listening to the episodes has taken up a lot of my time - mainly because I started listening 50-something episodes into the podcast - including time away from my reading. It's well worth it. I just finished listening to the episode: Long Gone Durham, discussing various baseball-related films. Josh and Mitch ultimately throw Bull Durham and Long Gone into the ring. My dad is a sucker for anything Kevin Costner (one of his many man-crushes), so we'll have to watch Bull Durham then the rest of the discussed films next week.
Josh and Mitch acknowledge that Bull Durham shouldn't be considered the best baseball film, and I agree. My overall impression after watching it again was it's a comedy centered around people involved in baseball. It's probably accurate to say the race issues in the league weren't focused on or important to the story line, but I don't find there's a valid reason to have nearly all white baseball players without touching on the subject of inequality. Fiction or non-fiction, there needs to be some historical accuracy. Durham had the potential to be more than just a movie involving baseball; how could it be considered the best baseball movie of all time when there's no real substance to it?
I'm disappointed there's a film out there that does, and it's not accessible in a good quality. I asked my dad about Long Gone, and he doesn't recall it. He watches films about nearly every sport, so it was shocking to hear he hasn't heard about this one. I was fortunate enough to find a version online, and even though I wasn't pulled in at the beginning, I eventually was when the issue of race became present. I did enjoy this film as well! The newly recruited African-American player, Brown, was told to appear Venezuelan (or just act not African American and only appear to know Spanish) in order to avoid race issues and conflict. Yes, the movie still has humor thrown in at the right moments, but Long Gone plays an intricate role in educating us about this aspect of the league that did occur. I haven't seen enough baseball films to say it's the best one, but it's definitely better than giving Durham that title.
This episode also features an interview with the director of Long Gone, Martin Davidson. He spoke about going to a bar near Wrigley Field (I've been there with my dad! Sluggers is the bar if anyone is wondering) and going upstairs to the batting cage. I get to go to my childhood home very soon, and the interview took me back to the times my dad and I have been to Wrigleyville and our passion for our Cubbies.
Baseball will always be America's sport. Baseball will always be the game my dad and I will follow and discuss together. When the Cubs were approaching the World Series last year, we promised to get tattoos if the team won it all. And, the Cubs did, so we got our tattoos. Oddly enough, we each got the same mascot - mine with a "female" spin - which is the one my dad first remembers seeing when he came to America. How neat! I'll post out tattoos someday. I have an insecurity, and of course anxiety, about showing my tatts. I don't *hide* them, but I don't parade them around, either.
I recommend any baseball or sports fan to take a listen to this episode and then watch these films. Yes, movies are meant to entertain and distract us when we need to be, but there's no reason we can't be educated as well. We can still laugh and strike up good conversation about the topics covered and lessons gained in a film. Beyond that, we can also appreciate the efforts made by the actors and crew members putting the film together. Especially for physical enduring films, many actors need to train and acquire new skills in order to give the best performance possible.
That's my two sense, anyway. Now to read more about how the Cubs have lost three games in a row against the Dodgers...
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