For an intro to this series, click here. For the original series way back in 2009, click here.
Can you imagine a slugger striding to the plate as Klaus Nomi’s falsetto tremble warbled out of the PA speakers? No, you cannot, because that would be insane. What could possibly better than seeing a batter leave the on deck circle to the strains of a Germanic operatic effeminate clown in an oversized pleather tuxedo? Nothing, except if a batter came to the plate dressed like Klaus Nomi. Then, the world itself might end from an overdose of amazing.
Yes, I am one of those dorks who scores baseball games. Or at least I was until fairly recently, as I explained in this lengthy post. There were many reasons I stopped, but one of the biggest was because my enormous Modell’s scorebook was cumbersome, conspicuous, and just a bit too scholarly for the stadium experience. Yes, there are some times when I do feel self conscious about my appearance.
However, I’ve come across a scorebook that would completely make me rethink my abandonment of scoring. Eephus League has developed a scorebook that is both compact and elegantly designed. It is seriously a work of art, as you will see from the pics in this post. The font choice and layout is nothing but perfect. It’s small enough to fit in a messenger bag or even a coat pocket (if you have biggish pockets), yet still large enough to have enough space for all your scoring needs. Plus, it comes with stickers, and who doesn’t love stickers?
The scorebook’s designer, Bethany Heck, has started a Kickstarter page to get these books printed. I will definitely donate to this cause, as I must have one of these, and I’d suggest you do the same. Everyone who donates gets a scorebook, and there are some awesome prizes at different tiers, like some retro-iffic posters and t-shirts that celebrate the art of scoring. I’m particularly enamored of one that depicts the bottom of the 10th of game 6 of the 1986 World Series in scored form (seen to your right). Even though I’m sure I’d have to explain it each time I wore it. No, scratch that–because I’m sure I’d have to explain it each time I wore it.
For an intro to this series, click here. For the original series way back in 2009, click here.
A few years ago, when I first started getting bit by The Best Show Bug, I decided to slowly work my way forwards through their archives. Listening to the first programs from way back in 2000 is a bit jarring. First off, no one was prepared for it. Very few people liked it. Most folks who called in wondered why Tom didn’t just play more music.
There’s one extremely early show, I believe only four or five installments into its existence, where technical issues and bad callers cause everything to go completely off the rails. Thus, a very large block of music is played to compensate. Within the midst of this music block, Tom spun a song by Danielson called “Flesh Thang.”
I’d never heard Danielson before. I don’t think I’d even heard of them. I was not aware there was a folksy-punkish band of devout Christians from New Jersey who liked to wear matching nurse outfits at shows and occasionally costumed themselves in nine-foot-tall trees bearing the symbolic fruits of the Holy Spirit. But this song burned itself on the surface of my brain, because it was so unlike anything else out there.
I wish I could point you to the Best Show Logs and tell you exactly which show had this song in it, but I’m afraid I goofed when doing my chronicling. My best guess it was played during the show from Halloween 2000 (but don’t quote me on that). What I do know is that if I saw a batter stroll up to the plate as this plinky, bizarre, earnest tune blared out of stadium speakers, I would either burst out laughing or stand and applaud.
