Primitive Information

Here’s to seeing more of this man in 2006

…but you’re not ready to win the World Series. Not until your veteran hitters show some consistency, especially in the clutch. Not until your pitchers learn to field simple bunts. Not until, frankly, this team sheds the streakiness that saw them jump out to the best record in baseball for much of the summer, falter badly down the stretch, recover just in time to clinch a playoff spot, blow a home series against the Kansas City Frickin’ Royals to lose the division, then go on a nearly unprecendented run all the way to the World Series, where, sadly, they fell apart once more.

Game Four hurt the worst. It was a game they should’ve and would’ve won a week or two earlier, when they were doing all the basic, fundamental things they did so well against the Yankees and A’s. Then Granderson slipped. Then Zumaya threw another one away. Then Polanco and Ordonez couldn’t get simple hits that would have moved runners along and put the game away. I couldn’t even get that upset when the last Eckstein flare clanged off Monroe’s glove; the game already felt lost by then.

Ho hum. Today felt like a fresh start. Baseball was becoming oppressive (that’s putting it mildly, if you ask my wife). It was a beautiful fall day and we slept in and then I took the dog running and sat out on the back deck reading and writing. I realized even while watching Game Four that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I had come to expect things to go wrong. I’m glad it’s over; for their sake and mine. But this truly was a magical season. It’s what this team and the city needed. And hopefully management’s truly seen what it takes to win, and that the town will come out for the team if they put forth an honest effort to do that. My recollection of growing up in Motown is that it’s an absolutely insane baseball community; sure, they love the Wings, the Pistons, even the Lions. But there’s no feeling quite like having the Tigers in contention.

Next year… I’m heartened by the fact it’s a young team, and under Leyland’s guidance they can only get better. This is not a collection of free agents surrounding an aging superstar, which is essentially what I watched (and rooted for) during the Giants’ great run in 2002. And that the Cardinals have come so close, and suffered so much, in recent years, perhaps means these Tigers can learn from their collapse and win — in 2007? ‘08? For now, my wife’s calling me to help peel potatoes. Back to real life.

Tags: Uncategorized by dhadbawnik
3 Comments »

Trying to get a hit’s like
trying to come. No fun
trying, it just
happens. If you have to
stand there grinding it out, suffering,
stopping to breathe and bend
back down listening for what the ball,
your lover,
wants, truth
packed into muscles so tiny
you didn’t know they were there, the minute
balance of pulling your own
body back from the edge of what’s
coming to let it (lover,
ball) go where it
wants to, do that, if
possible, before
swinging

Tags: Uncategorized by dhadbawnik
887 Comments »

Is this really all we can talk about?

We did it. And yes, I’m talking first and foremost about the Blessed Event, the one with guests and gifts and a justice of the peace. I’ve got something on my left hand, too, and it isn’t dirt (or pine tar or intergalactic goop or any of the other things they’re saying Kenny had on his, last night). We had a great time with some family members and a few friends, and I’ll be posting some images soon.

For now, a few thoughts on the game last night. I’m glad the Tigers eked out the win — hell, I’d be downright suicidal if they hadn’t, after an 8-inning two-hitter spun by Mr. Rogers — but there are some very disturbing trends heading into the games in St. Louis. First off, as I mentioned in my last post, I really wasn’t at all sure the Tigers would fare well with the home field “advantage.” This post-season has really borne that out. The only team to win a series with home field advantage in any round thus far was the Mets, sweeping the Dodgers in Round 1. Otherwise, not a single home team has managed to win both home games to start a series. All those teams went on to lose. Only the Mets (last round, against the Cards) managed to get the series to a Game 7.

That’s one thing. The rest has to do with the way Detroit’s playing. I liked having Verlander throw Game 1, but I’m mystified as to why he’s suddenly so hittable. This guy was totally nails all summer, and while he cooled off considerably in the last part of the season, he’s had plenty of rest. What gives? Part of the problem in the first game was the defense, or lack thereof. That seemed to get rectified in Game 2, although Mr. Jones definitely needs to work on fielding before he steps out in another tight save situation.

The real problem? It starts with an “H” and ends with “itting.” They’re not doing it. And you can’t tell me that Rookie Reyes and Jeff Freakin’ Weaver are the reasons why. Seriously — if it wasn’t for Carlos Guillen tossing up 3/4ths of a cycle last night, we don’t win. The main culprits are Granderson, Polanco, and Pudge. Granderson’s apparently reverted to being the guy who led the league in strike-outs. I understand they’re busting Polanco inside, but you can’t be the MVP one series and totally disappear the next. As for Pudge, he looks totally lost up there. That’s unacceptable. Molina’s supposed to be the catcher who can’t hit in this series. Not getting the ball out of the infield with one out and a runner on 3rd is just awful. I believe he added a strike-out and HIDP to that performance, but frankly, I’m too horrified to look and confirm it. If at least two out of these three guys don’t get it going in a hurry, this series will not return to Detroit.

On the positive side, Rogers was magnificent last night. I’m amazed that the biggest story coming out of that is whatever he did or didn’t deliberately put on his hand. Get over it! The guy tossed a gem last night. If we do somehow manage to get back to Detroit with a 3-2 lead, especially given St. Louis’ pitiful record against lefties, you’ve got to like our chances. But first, Robertson, Bonderman, and/or Verlander have to come up with something huge. As do two or more of the above-mentioned gentlemen.

Tags: Uncategorized by dhadbawnik
3 Comments »

Thanks to this man, I believe we’ll be seeing more of this before October’s through…

Some quick thoughts while my bride-to-be’s out shopping with her dad and step-mom:

First, on Game 7 of the NLCS: If you’re Carlos Beltran, how in the world do you strike out looking to end the last inning of the last game of the season? To me, both his at-bat and Cliff Floyd’s were equally inexcusible, though at least Floyd was pinch-hitting and didn’t represent the last out. In case you missed it, rookie closer Wainright caught them both looking at a strike-three curve ball. If I’m up there batting in that situation (to adopt the voice of one the inane Fox announcers), I’m looking first-pitch fastball, which might be the best pitch to hit you get from Wainright. That’s exactly what he served up, but Beltran let that go. Strike one. After that, Wainright’s formula was to junk his way to strike two with either the slider or the curve, then finish you off with a curveball. What made it so horrendous was that both batters went up apparently looking to end the game with a home run, when a simple hit would have at least tied it. Just awful.

On to the World Series: Like most experts, I think the Tigers should win this one (for reasons why both teams should win, check this out on ESPN). I love what Leland’s done with the starting rotation, setting it up so Verlander and Rogers get to pitch at home, with Rogers available for a potential game 6 at home, too. Granted, that makes Nate Robertson, aka the 4th Hanson brother, your potential game 7 starter, but hopefully we don’t have to go that far. This leads into the point almost no one has brought up as far as I know, which is the so-called home-field advantage Detroit has.

The Tigers’ formula so far has consisted of winning a game or two on the road, then riding the wave of good vibes in Comerica Park to close a team out. That won’t be possible this time. Instead, the pressure’s on them to hold serve at home, then go and win games on the road. If anything goes wrong in those first two games, that increases the pressure even more. I don’t buy the conventional wisdom that our starting rotation is that much superior to St. Louis’; statistically, they’re about even, although we’ve had to face actual major league lineups. Our bullpen has been more impressive, though theirs hasn’t been bad, either. Both lineups have been equally capable of getting big hits from anyone in the order, or having big hitters completely disappear. Defense has been lights out for both teams, with the added bonus that we now have two of the very best defensive catchers in all of baseball going head to head.

I like Detroit because they’re on one hell of a roll, and they’ve got Jim Leland at the helm. I just have confidence he’s going to keep pushing the right buttons. Tigers in 6.

Tags: Uncategorized by dhadbawnik
1 Comment »

place — location — what
is — what one is — ordinary
problems breathing and
burping

*

I’ll have one.
The essence of searching
for, and
finding another whatever
that may be,
one to another
or one’s
own self be
true

*

sound of a knife
in the other
room — not
a weapon, it’s
the kitchen

*

irregular beat against
cutting board
moist as vegetables
separate
breath between strokes

*

I feel like a
housewife.
What do you
want to feel
like, a
princess?

No.

*

No way to tell how
far he’d regressed.
Annotated for now, a
quick jot. Just
give me the ball–
you know the tune, don’t
make me whistle

*

I guess it is possible
to live a whole life
leaning over
the toilet,
get married
have kids
die
the whole bit

* * *

And I wanted to include this, section IV of Lorine Niedecker’s longish poem on Thomas Jefferson; the quotidian charm of these has been an ongoing inspiration for my project.

Latin and Greek
my tools
to understand
humanity

I rode horse
away from a monarch
to an enchanting
philosopy

* * *

I just love the nursery rhyme simplicity of that. Somehow you remember it. I was going through my notebook last night, in half-despair and frustration as usual, and once again it was a throwaway bit that brought me around — that first little section, above. Of course! Totally unpretentious, more like a note than a poem, not trying to say anything more than just what’s there. It’s really not simple at all — more like a state of mind — the other bits above work more or less variously over and around that state — I’d be interested in what people thought… (and I appreciate more and more the difficulty of Niedecker’s project; dichten = condensare)

Tags: Workbook by dhadbawnik
3 Comments »

Thanks to these men, we’re up 2-0.

I can no longer resist typing a little tribute to the men who are making me happy this month, in the face of lazy students, angry parking gods, and general ongoing busy-ness as we prepare for the Blessed Event. I honestly can’t figure this team out. They’re one of the streakier ballclubs I’ve ever seen, which is why, even as they jump out to a lead against the A’s, I can’t get too too excited. Played lights out all through June and July, swooned horribly in August, recovered just enough to hold off the Twins and bury the Sox, then utterly collapsed the last week of the season to cough up the divis title.

Honestly though I did think they might give the Yankees fits — and coming out to the bar last weekend after the reading, seeing Kenny Freakin Rogers toss eight K’s, I began to see the fairy dust sprinkled over my team. The Bonderman Mystery Tour in the close-out game was pure magic, as was the celebration afterwards.

There in spirit…

Of course it was a million times more sweet that it came against the Yankees, nearly causing a panicked Boss to dismantle the team, much like the Lakers freaked out a few years ago after the Pistons took them down. Since, as an increasingly bitter adult, schadenfreude is part of any truly satisfying sports experience, this really went a long ways towards endearing this team to me (as I’m sure it did to millions of other Yanks-haters). As my friend Sarah wrote, it was almost as good as winning the World Series. Now of course it’s taken a bizarre turn, as the elimination of the Yanks apparently indirectly led to the death of one of their pitchers in a plane crash yesterday. By all accounts he was a really great guy, and I’ve been saddened to read about it — there’s a great testimonial about him here.

As for the baseball: When I was a kid I got to see the ‘84 Tigers win it all. They broke out of the gates 35-5 — a number that any baseball fan still remembers — led wire-to-wire, and in my naive sports mind there was never any doubt they’d beat everyone in the playoffs. I was 14 years old and still angling for my first kiss, trying to grow a mullet, and riding my BMX bike to and from the Oakland Mall. Looking back on it now — it’s hard to put into words without sounding corny — those were the days before Bill Buckner, before I knew anything about luck and disaster and things like Chris Webber’s phantom time out and Dusty Baker giving the game ball to Russ Ortiz in Game 6 (when I lived in S.F.). The team that was supposed to win won. It was the Tigers’ year that year and everyone knew it. Willie Hernandez. Dan Petry. Chet Lemon. Larry Herndon. And of course Jack Morris and Gibbie and Trammell and Whitaker. And Lance Parrish. Who once signed a ball for me in — yes — Sears, at the Mall.

Bottom line is I don’t feel that anything’s fore-ordained anymore, and I don’t think I could feel that way about this team even if it was 1984 all over again. They’re streaky. You look up and down the lineup and you don’t know how they’re getting it done (great article on that here). I’m just cautiously riding this, hoping they’ll go as far as they can go. But with all the crazy sports moments I’ve seen in the past 10 years — hello, 2004 Red Sox — I can’t be sure of anything till the last out’s made. Come to think of it, I do recall a flutter in my teenaged stomach as I watched that last Pads’ flare float into Larry Herndon’s glove. Watching a replay of it on TV the other night, it really was a bit more chancy than I remembered, even then…

Tags: Uncategorized by dhadbawnik
9 Comments »

Turn out the lights,
kill the joints, it’s
gone, my city’s
gone. No more sitting
on the stoop waiting
for it to come home and
slap the ice cream cone
out of my hand, no more
awkward moments on buses
feeling the silence of every hill
spilled into each other,
I’d like you to move your car
so I can park here is who
I am, and you’re
not moving. Let’s fall
one more time while lights lift
bridge out of bay’s dark,
shimmy down backs of earthquakes
and meet in the astonished aftermath,
leap out of cabs into
glances and waves,
fling ourselves into the foul
smell of dead seas rolled
into sun-warm sealskin
and take pictures!
I won’t tell if
you don’t. The city is vast
and dead and changeable as
the sand that we sift
for clues, belly into the
wet earth, breathing
fish. The city is human
and clearheaded as a guitar,
doctor. Alive as hell and I
miss it like hell. The city is
the city
is the city.

In case there was any doubt where I was talking about…

All right, this reads kind of uneven to me but it was my stab at an “elegy for something ‘non-human,’” which was our latest workshop assignment. I had been reading some Jeffrey Miller to get myself in the mood, as his poems, at their best, seem to have that zany other-worldliness that an elegy of this type calls for, at least it seems to me. More and more interested in writing from the “other side,” as Andrei Codrescu claims Miller is doing in his poems. Of course getting back into Jack Spicer, now that I have my books unpacked at long last. Away we go…

By the way, Andrew’s sestina has just posted on McSweeney’s. Definitely worth a look. Congrats, Andrew!

Tags: Workbook by dhadbawnik
No Comments »