… and here is proof:
The Hardest Baseball Trivia Question Answered

Ever since I got the 1990 Official MLB Annual Baseball Preview (with Bo Jackson on the cover), I have made it a habit to remember minute baseball details. Glenn Davis was traded for Curt Schilling, Pete Harnisch, and Steve Finley. The AL Rookies of the Year from 1992-1995 were Pat Listach, Tim Salmon, Bob Hamelin, and Marty Cordova. Andy Hawkins pitched a no-hitter and lost 4-0.

Last night, it came in handy. I was at Professor Thom’s, and I was introduced to a serious baseball trivia guy named John. As he posted on his blog, I answered the hardest question he has ever asked: Who held the career home run record before Babe Ruth. In fact, I did him one better, listing both Roger Connor, the real record-holder, and Gavvy Cravath, who is the 20th century answer. I guess I’m just lucky that I knew the answer.

The best trivia player I have ever met is Curt Spear, who actually stumped The Schwab on ESPN. I met Curt at the 2006 MLB All-Star Game, and he blew me out of the water. He might know more sports information than anyone I have ever met.

Except for maybe my father…

I haven’t been part of the MTV generation for quite some time, but while walking down the West Side Highway this afternoon, I happened upon MTV’s Band in a Bubble. The premise is interesting, if not terribly original: the band Cartel spends 20 days in a “bubble,” recording an album, and at the end of 20 days, performs the album for enthusiastic onlookers. So today I spent about 45 minutes enjoying the sun and listening to the band debate if the people outside the bubble could actually hear them. It was an interesting setup, with snacks and beverages available and a volleyball net set up. Even though I am far outside the demographic, I will watch this show once and we’ll see how it goes.

After two years at a most elegant residence I nicknamed The Club, I have moved eight blocks to another apartment to-be-named. This one’s a little smaller, but the location can’t be beat: Park Avenue out my window, and a train within 20 feet of my door. The move itself was a harrowing process: I looked at about 50 different apartments, and came very close to taking one that was 1. more expensive, 2. in a (much) worse location, 3. smaller, and 4. included a broker fee. At the 11th hour, I found about this place, and after all sorts of hoops to jump through, I am finally here.

It’s only half a mile from my old place, but that’s like 50 miles in New York. There’s no shortage of drugstores, but the local grocery store seems a little snobby. We’ll see how it goes.

They call this the City That Never Sleeps but it might also be the City That Never Stops Drinking. There are hundreds of bars in New York City, and on a Friday night, they are all packed full with alcohol-enthusiasts. It’s hard to avoid drinking in New York, and here is a very interesting story about a bar that I frequent called the Press Box, and how they took a stand against a non-drinker. We usually hit this place during lunch hour, but I think someone at the bar, either the bartender or the manager, made the wrong decision.

It’s a simple solution really.

Taxi cabs, especially in New York City, are a very convenient mode of transportation. Until you leave something in the taxi on your way out – at which time the veritable plethora of cabs in the city becomes a detriment.

We live in the technology age. Why not place a reader, just inside the rear doors of the cab. As passengers enter, they hold their card up to the reader, and it registers that the passenger was in this particular cab. Then if something is forgotten, or the cab driver gives a bad cab experience (intentional wrong turns to raise the fare, dangerous driving, etc), the passenger has it on record that they were in the cab, and can easily rectify the situation.

There are downsides, such as the cab that gets in an accident. Usually, passengers just walk away and don’t pay the driver. That’s reasonable. But not if you’ve sent an electronic stamp that you were in the car. But seriously, would you rather be forced to pay $5 or so after an accident, or would you rather be without your cell phone for an extended period of time?

Here’s a name for it: Taxi Tracker

Living in New York, I am often afforded the privilege of doing things that many people hear about and few people actually get to do. On May 5, 2006, I saw Pearl Jam in a club that fits only a thousand people. In August, I saw Shakespeare in the Park. Last night, I spent New Years Eve in Times Square. And walked home.

I actually spent New Years ten years ago in Times Square as well, but I was so far away (and, presumably, around the corner), that I couldn’t see or hear the ball, and definitely had no warning when it hit midnight. And I had to scram quickly to catch a train out.

This year, I decided to do it right. With warm weather coming and living right in Manhattan, this seemed like the perfect year. The experience itself was great, but exactly as you would expect. We stood in the same place from 6 PM until about 12:05. Some people around us were loud, drunk, and annoying, and at midnight everyone cheered. The real story here is the advice I can offer.

We showed up at 4:45 at the subway station at 42nd and 7th. The ball actually drops from 43rd street, facing north. As such, the corner was quite crowded as we arrived. We were pushed to 8th Avenue and then north. We were not able to turn back towards 7th until about 55th Street. Then, we were able to walk down Broadway to about 49th, where we stay for the duration.

Clearly, the best advice is to arrive around 4 PM (or before 5, when the start shutting off the streets), and arrive at 59th and Broadway, near Columbus Circle. Then walk south on Broadway until they stop you in a fenced off, crowded area. At that point, you’ll probably be at 44th or 45th, with a great view of the ball and possibly able to hear some of the performances. We heard very little of the performances, except for the fireworks.

Bring a small snack (no bags, but we were happy to have some pretzels stored in a pocket), and no water. You cannot go to the bathroom, period. And be ready to stand in a crowded area for about 6 or 7 hours. It’s worth doing once, but I don’t think I will be making the return trip.