The Rattlers on TV this weekend

In case you cannot wait for Opening Day, Sports 32 has some Timber Rattlers baseball on this weekend.

They replayed the 2009 opener last night. And it will also be shown @ 3:00pm today.

Tonight @ 7pm they are showing the April 23, 2009 game against Peoria.

Sunday @7pm they are showing the May 19, 2009 game against Clinton.

And since ABC isn't showing The Ten Commandments on Easter this year, what else are you going to watch?

The 200 mph Fastball

Robert Culp passed away earlier this week. I enjoyed him as a Columbo villain (three times) I remember I Spy, but his most memorable role - to me at least - was as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero.

To tie this in with baseball, here is the episode The 200 Mile Per Hour Fastball. Thank you, YouTube!



Watch for Don Drysdale and get a kick out of both the security in the players' parking lot and the car being driven by the rookie of the year.

For the full screen version of this episode head over here.

We're gonna be on the TV

Head over to the main site for the full details, including the Sports32 broadcast schedule.

Time Warner Cable will telecast a minimum of 12 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers games live on Sports32 in 2010. This season will be the fourth year for Rattlers games shown on Sports32. The schedule begins on Opening Night - April 8, 2010 - when the Timber Rattlers host the Kane County Cougars at 6:35pm. Other games may be added to the broadcast schedule at a later date.

A life goal

One of the things that I must do at some point in my life is get on Jeopardy!. Duk over at Big League Stew had a post up last week that I didn't see until yesterday. This post brings together a couple of things that are important to me...Baseball and Jeopardy!.

Here is the question:

If you were on 'Jeopardy!' and the final category was baseball how confident would you be in making your wager?

The setup is the Clavin Gambit. You're up by a lot heading into Final Jeopardy. Do you risk it all to win a lot or do you leave money on the table.

Duk managed to find a website that has every game of Jeopardy! for the last 26 seasons. And I thought Star Trek fans were obsessive.

There have been 10 times (that he found) in which Baseball was a topic in Final Jeopardy!

I -- being an all-or-nothing kind of guy -- would go for broke. And with an answer like this...I would profit!

5. BASEBALL (9/11/02): "It's the only team to win World Series titles in three different cities for which it played.

Bird on a Monday Night

That's the title of this week's Mehring Monday. The topic is:



Plus, my rambling idea for a TV show.

July 7, 2009: Rain delay theater

Found this beauty the last time we needed rain delay theater and said to myself, "Mehring, you have got to use this next time."

Well, it's next time and here is a baseball themed episode of Ironside. Thank you, Hulu. You truly are a modern miracle.



Is that not the greatest open to a TV show ever? Don't argue with me on this. You cannot win. Cannot win.

The above episode is called The Tormentor.

For some reason, I am having trouble linking to the show page at tv.com. Links will need to be added later.

Enjoy.

Links added. And Yes. That is Gary Collins as the ballplayer for the Giants. Have you ever seen more convincing baseball action within a television show?

Look! We're on TV!

From the team release!

Time Warner Cable and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers announced a comprehensive television broadcast schedule for Timber Rattlers games during the 2009 season. 10 games will air live on Time Warner Cable Sports32 across Time Warner Cable’s entire eastern Wisconsin service area. Bob Brainerd, Jerry Augustine and Dennis Krause will be the announcers for the telecasts.

Here is the schedule:
Thursday, April 9.......vs. Quad Cities
Thursday, April 23......vs. Peoria
Tuesday, May 19.........vs. Clinton
Thursday, June 11.......vs. Kane County
Thursday, June 25.......vs. Peoria
Thursday, July 9........vs. West Michigan
*Monday, July 13........vs. South Bend
Thursday, July 23.......vs. Dayton
Thursday, August 6......vs. Kane County
Thursday, August 20.....vs. Cedar Rapids

*-Day game

Any comments?

“Time Warner Cable is proud to expand our partnership with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers," said Bev Greenberg, Vice President Communications & Regional Local Programming for Time Warner Cable Wisconsin. "Since its launch two years ago, Time Warner Cable Sports32 has continued to provide unique, exclusive Wisconsin sports programming from a diverse line up of sports teams.”

“The Timber Rattlers are excited for the opportunity to broadcast ten regular season games on Time Warner Cable Sports32. This is a great opportunity for baseball fans state-wide to preview future Brewers’ stars beginning their career in Appleton,” said Rob Zerjav, President for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

A few more scenes for Baseball on TV

Apparently, Will Ferrell is going to be part of an HBO series called Eastbound & Down. It's apparently about a former baseball star named Kenny Powers who is know a gym teacher or substitute gym teacher or Will Ferrell doing a Ric Flair as a car dealer impression...Here is a quick behind the scenes:



Let's see...random yelling....sports...awkward question from child...even more awkwarder answer to child...yep. It's a Will Ferrell production.

Tonight on HBO. Wednesday on Baseball on TV...Maybe.

Baseball on TV (2/11)

The Baseball Bunch was a television show from the 1980's that taught kids about baseball. How to run, how to pitch, how to hit, how to field, how to fight back against a potato-peel flinging mascot....

Potato to the groin! Now THAT'S comedy!

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Baseball on TV (2/4)

I'm really digging deep for this today. Laff-A-Lympics from Tokyo. Skip ahead to about 6:35 for the baseball from the home of the Tokyo Transistors to see:

Hong Kong Phooey of the Scooby Doobies pitching to Quick Draw McGraw of the Yogi Yahooies

Dread Baron of the Really Rottens pitching to Captain Caveman of the SD's.

Scooby Dum of the SD'spitching (after getting some tips from Fred Flinstone) to Sooey the Pig of the RR's.



Did people really think this was funny?

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Baseball on TV (1/28)

A little Charlie Brown today, I think.



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Baseball on TV (1/21)

First of all, why did no one tell me about this Chiller channel that is now available on my Time Warner Cable System?

Second of all, why did no one tell me that there was a Twin Peaks marathon on before the Championship games on Sunday?

Third of all, I managed to catch this part from that wonderfully weird series. The baseball tie-in? Agent Cooper is throwing something at a target from exactly 60'-6" away...to help him solve a murder...don't ask questions...just dive right in to the oddness.



"Would you please, put on the kitchen mittens?"

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Instead of Motivation

It's been a rough couple of days for Columbo villians.

Patrick McGoohan, who was the killer on four episodes that I can remember, and Ricardo Montalban , who was a bullfighter trying to get away with murder in Mexico, both have recently died.

I tried finding a baseball clip on youtube for each and I struck gold.

It's a promo for ABC Saturday shows programs in about 1978. Stick through the What's Happening?, Operation Petticoat, and The Love Boat with Jim Nabors and Dihann Carroll. You will see brief clips of a Fantasy Island episode in which Gary Burghoff strikes out Steve Garvey with a little help from Mr. Roarke's Island.



Other players in that episode:

George Brett (Himself (uncredited))
Ellis Valentine (Himself (uncredited))
Ken Brett (Himself (uncredited))
Fred Lynn (Himself (uncredited)
Steve Garvey (Himself)
Tommy Lasorda (Himself)

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Baseball on TV (1/14)

No time to play this morning. Maybe later. So, here is George Costanza and his theory of hitting.



And here is an old Miller Lite commercial starring Yogi Berra. See if you notice someone else...


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Baseball on TV (1/7)

This week is an episode I've mentioned before, but now, there is video.

The Wings episode Blackout Biggins.

Roy tries -- and tries again -- to sing the national anthem at Fenway Park.







Completely worth it for Crystal Bernard yelling out "Hey, Mattingly! You're a bum!" and making fun of Danny Tartabull's swing in segment three.

Baseball on TV (12/31)

Baseball stars of the 80's guest star on a classic 80's television show.

Baseball on TV (12/25)

Yes, this should have been yesterday. No, I am not going to do a Thursday motivation today. And no, I can't embed the video today.

But here at the links to an episode of I Love Lucy involving baseball and -- since it's Christmas -- Bob Hope.

Part One: with Fred taking Lucy, Ethel, and Little Ricky to Yankee Stadium

Part Two: with Lucy in a Cleveland Indians uniform trying to meet Bob Hope

Part Three: is the big wrap up and Thanks for the Memories.

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Wednesday Baseball on TV (12/17)

I wanted to do something neat today for Baseball on TV.

However, Ichiro's appearance as a killer on the Japanese television show Furuhata Ninzaburō is not available on Youtube. Furuhata is like a Japanese Columbo. Check out some of his work here...he is the guy dressed in all black.

Then, I thought about Al Michaels appearance as a lawyer on Hawaii Five-O. But, baseball is not the main focus of the episode. No to that...even if it does have Christopher Walken.

Today's entry is a cover involving characters that have been on TV. It's a reach, but I've been saving it.

Baseball on TV (12/10)

For some reason, CBS.com will not allow me to embed an entire episode of MacGyver.

So, I'll just provide a link to Back From The Dead, a third season episode that features the great Joe Santos (aka Dennis Becker on The Rockford Files) as a former mobster who is in the witness protection as a baseball clubhouse manager. His cover is blown because his picture winds up in the paper and Mac it there is put it right.

Oh, and there is an appearance by the even greater Hank Aaron in this episode as well. Yes, that Hank Aaron.

Baseball on TV (12/3)

Get ready for an inside-the-park home run by Mr. Ed...off Sandy Koufax:

No Animals or Johnny Roseboros were harmed in the making of this episode.