So I tried to give up blogging for Lent. But it didn’t take.
Uni Watch’s “JetBlue moment,” as the historians will no doubt refer to it in the future, is still ongoing. What you’re reading right now is a no-frills, placeholder version of the site. There’s no old content, and the comments function is temporarily disabled (no doubt a great relief to those of you who keep losing your lengthy comments when you forget to enter the security code).
So what happened, and when will it be fixed? I’m pretty tech-illiterate when it comes to this stuff, but as webmaster Johnny Ek explains it to me, the company that hosts our site on their server decided that we’d maxed out our database storage — in short, the site had gotten too large — so they shut us down. They were supposed to send us a warning first, but instead they just pulled the plug. We’re upgrading to a dedicated server, but that means the entire site has to be downloaded off the old server and uploaded onto the new one, and for some reason that’s taking waaaaaay longer than anyone expected.
I don’t really pretend to understand any of this. But it sure makes me appreciate how smoothly everything ran for the past nine months. Kind of a miracle, really.
Anyway, for now we’ve got this temporary mirror site set up, so I can at least run new content. And, as it happens, I’ve got something very special to share with you — something that should make you forget all about the hassles of the past few days. Remember those “Turn Ahead the Clock” uniforms from 1999? Maybe you’ve seen this breakdown of them, but now there’s something better: a four-minute SportsCenter segment that someone has posted on YouTube. I can’t take credit for discovering it — someone on the Chris Creamer boards posted the link. But whatever. It’s amazing. Dig:
That should put us all in a better mood, yes?
As for subsequent content: Look for a new entry either later today or on Saturday, our usual open thread on Sunday, and full throttle on Monday. Hopefully the site will be back to normal by then.
Also, I’m told that the dedicated server means the site will now run a bit faster, and next week we’re gonna add a new feature that I think everyone will really like. Plus we’re drawing up a “Uni Watch Reader’s Bill of Rights.” Okay, no we’re not. But you get the idea.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Reprinted from Tuesday’s comments: Great little video here of the Orioles’ clubhouse attendants cleaning the players’ spikes (with thanks to Joe Hilseberg). … And here’s a video clip of Curtis Granderson shopping for a new glove (with thanks to Chris Blackstone). … Tuesday’s entry about catchers’ equipment omitted this article, about Jorge Posada’s new gear (thanks to Matt Garrett). … More backstop news: Ramon Castro, first spotted in this Rawlings chest protector, was more recently seen wearing this one. … And Brian Schneider, who in the past has worn his uni number on his chest protector collar, now has his name there. … Scroll down to the middle of this Q&A page (look for the question from “bluebleeder1977″) and you’ll learn something amazing about Dodgers reliever Takashi Saito: He wears toe socks! (Brilliant catch by Daniel Graf.) … New Pirates pitcher Masumi Kuwata is wearing his old Yomiuri Giants glove (as spotted by Mike Forgy). …¦ The Federation Internationale de Volleyball’s World League has changed its logo from this to this (with thanks to Jeremy Brahm). … Uni Watch intern Vince Grzegorek notes that Warrensville, Ohio girls’ hoops team is wearing faux-stirrup baseball socks. … Vance Wilson has added his uni number to his chest protector collar. … Rockies pitching coach Rick Mathews appears to be wearing real stirrups (although of course his pants are way too long). … Speaking of pants, it’s good to see Ichiro is maintaining the high-cuffs look this spring. … And speaking of hosiery, one of my biggest gripes is Rawlings-branded socks, previously worn by several players, including Joe Crede. If you look closely, you can just barely see that he’s wearing them again this spring. … Here’s something you don’t see much anymore: the old ABC helmet logo. … A USC hockey goalie pulled down his pants during a recent game. … Bryan Redemske notes that Nomar was wearing mismatched wristbands the other day. … Bit of a faux pas for Nike on the cricket front (as spotted by Bill Kirby). … You know those little thumb guards that hitters sometimes wear? Here’s a really good look at one of them. … Big article here about granny basketball (now that’s a uniform!). … Did Mike Sweeney wear a “C” on his old BP jersey? He’s got one now. … “Check out this fan, trying to get Matsuzaka’s autograph,” writes Jeremy Brahm. “His cap reads, ‘Sign, please.’ ” … They really can’t wait to shorten the team name down there in Tampa. … Memo to Homeland Security: Looks like Osama is lurking around Tigers camp. … Why is Gustavo Chacin using an outfielder’s glove? … Shin-soo Choo is still going double-flapped this season. … Look at all those elastic-free cuffs — scandalous! … Doug Mientkiewicz’s batting helmet is pristine for now, but history suggests that won’t last long. … The minor league Providence Bruins wore Rhode Island Reds unis the other night.
