A few items to add to your reading queue for the weekend.
I’ve always bought into the myth that minor league baseball was somehow purer than big league ball, and the connection between minor league clubs and their communities was deeper than that between big cities and MLB clubs. That’s probably all Bull Durham-fueled garbage, but baseball is largely built on myths anyway
MLB is doing its best to fuck all that up by squeezing out much of what was local and unique about the minors.
Will Bardenwerper set out to document what was supposed to be the final year of the old Appalachian League. Until Covid canceled the season and his book deal. Fortunately we get this great Harper’s piece from his efforts.
What is baseball? Our national pastime, an enduring slice of Americana? Or just a business? Does an enterprise that purports to be part of the fabric of America—and one that for the past hundred years has enjoyed a unique federal antitrust exemption—have a responsibility to prevent that fabric from fraying? Or should the league simply maximize value for its owners, as most corporations do?
I had no idea that the pumpkin spice latte backlash was rooted in economic anxiety and contempt for women. I thought it was just because people were sick of Pumpkin Spice Everything dropping a little earlier each year.
This piece is over a year old, but still a very good read.
Pumpkin spice lattes — and the backlash, and the backlash to the backlash — explained
For the record, pumpkin spice remains completely delicious when used properly.
Ranking the Seinfeld Fake Movies
Shocking that it took 23 years for someone to do this. Or at least for someone’s effort to get broad attention.
I know it can be difficult to keep your cool in the midst of a stressful game. A good rule of thumb, though, is that players and coaches should never interact directly with opposing fans.
Northern Colorado offensive coordinator Max McCaffrey threw a clipboard into the stands last week. What makes this story great is that the comment that pushed him over the edge was someone making a crack about his pants being too small.
That’s some funny, funny shit.
UNC’s Max McCaffrey ‘reprimanded’ for throwing clipboard into Montana State stands
Finally, a few Bond links. I’m seeing No Time To Die on Wednesday. I have no idea when I last saw a movie in a theater.
Shaken, and Stirred: How Daniel Craig Gave James Bond a Soul
Sixty Years of James Bonds Complaining About Their Jobs