Another for your perverse viewing pleasure...

It's a miracle!

As if you weren't already overwhelmed and awe-inspired enough by the CARTOONS and BASEBALL ESSAYS, here's a new series of actual signs I've stumbled across. This one's from a bus stop on Geary Blvd.

Havala at Bodega Head

2009 Regular Season, vol. 4

Since Bertrand the Beagle was kind enough to model a fitted Las Vegas 51's cap for us, let's start today's rambling with a glance at the Pacific Coast League. The modern-day PCL can be summed up by the phrase (and rumored Brad Pitt film) "Moneyball"-- Oakland's AAA affiliate, the SACRAMENTO RIVERCATS, are 80-49, enroute to their THIRD Championship IN A ROW. We watched them beat the abovementioned Aliens in Sacramento in May. Big League stuff, as they say.

  Up to the MLB: Mentioned pitching in Volume 3... I'd thought the topic would revolve around the 1-2-3 Giants punch of Lincecum, Cain & Johnson, but the lattermost is on the 60-DDL, and the healthy two have the misfortune to play for a team that (like last night) can be up 4-1 in the 14th and LOSE... on a goddamn grand slam. In goddamn Denver. Whoa, Eric! Stay focused!

  This last weekend, we listened to the Red Sox / Yanks on ESPN Radio... Sabathia beat Beckett to 15 wins... CC's season-best is 19. Good luck, you big, huge badass. Still weird to see him in anything but an Indians uniform... of course, you CAN'T see that on the radio. Hey-- a closer gonna win the Cy Young again anytime soon? Such an underappreciated role....

  Okay. I'm going to be out of town for much of early September, but there should be at least two more baseball posts before the Playoffs.

2009 WORLD SERIES PREDICTION: Phillies over the Yankees, in 6 games.

Kind of a pore choice.

MARVIN DIDN'T MIND WORKING AT A SWEAT SHOP.

[Airmail]

Just received a postcard from my friend Eva in Denmark.

  Am presently trying to figure out if the stamps are

  "lickers"  or  "stickers" ...

2009 Regular Season, vol. 3

I was in a pub in the Haight last week and noticed that, of 6 flatscreens, there were FOUR DIFFERENT BASEBALL GAMES ON AT ONCE. Great for someone like me, who doesn't own a TV. Well, I went back there the other day (to look for some American League action) and the screens were playing, from left to right: SOFTBALL, GOLF, TENNIS, GOLF, SOCCER and "NO SIGNAL".  Ouch.  But you didn't join the blog-o-sphere to read complaints (or, hopefully, to look at cat photos.)

  Here's a thought, before I leave you with my updated Top 8 Champion Odds... it's looking more and more like there will be at least two players with 140+ RBI this season. When's the last time that happened?!

  Okay, here are my Most Likely Suspects, 2009 World Champs-wise:

PHILLIES: [EVEN]

YANKEES: [EVEN]

RED SOX: 3 to 1

ANGELS: 4 to 1

MARLINS: 5 to 1

DODGERS: 7 to 1

CARDINALS: 10 to 1

WHITE SOX: 20 to 1

Your team not on the list? See ya in 2010, suckers.

COMING SOON: A look at the PCL, or maybe something about pitchers.

2009 Regular Season, vol. 2

I told my wife I wouldn't use the baseball section of Frozen Fountains just to bitch about the Giants, but come on!! Even though there's one more game to play in their important series against the Dodgers, it's already over. Let's review: Sanchez gets the L in a 4-2 dud on Monday. His starts since the no-hitter have been so weak it makes you think no-hit games aren't always examples of great pitchers doing the otherworldly; sometimes, rather, it's an average pitcher basking in the binary starlight of statistical anomaly and an unimpressive opposing offense. But to be fair to the kid, SF hit into double play after double play after...

  Yesterday's game was even worse: SF crushed 9-1 and beginning what will no doubt be a long, slow, quiet fade from the wild card race. Congrats on winning the West, Dodgers. Assholes.

  I feel better now. And, yes, I'll probably watch Tim throw today (his first K will be #199).

  Pujols jacked HR #37... anybody gonna chalk 60 this year? Don't think that's happened since the Year of Our Steroid 2001.

  Yankees are first to reach 70 wins.  70-43.  No comment.

ON DECK: The Champion Odds are pared down to eight teams, as promised.

2009 Regular Season, vol. 1

Now that the Wild Card races are taking shape, I thought I'd share some baseball thoughts every 3 or 4 days, between now and the end of the World Series. Today's installment lists the odds I give teams-- amongst those I feel have a good chance-- of winning it all this year. Next time, I'll try to narrow it down to eight or so...

PHILLIES 2:1

YANKEES 3:1

RED SOX 4:1

ANGELS 6:1

DODGERS 8:1

CARDINALS 10:1

MARLINS 14:1

WHITE SOX 20:1

GIANTS 25:1

CUBS 50:1

ROCKIES 75:1

[Translation]

Mime for, "I'm being violated by a walrus!"

[Grass Roots]

To those of you who run, walk or push strollers in the Lake Street bike lanes between Arguello and 30th Ave, I would like to let you know that I fully understand your plight, and am presently in negotiations with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and area bike shops to help raise money for this blighted stretch of Sea Cliff / Presidio Terrace. The City may have turned its back on this sidewalk-free zone, but not the two-wheeled and differently-sane!

[Association]

"You mentioned during our last session

that I reminded you of your mother...

let's explore that."