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Posts filed under 'Table Tennis'
Astros phenom Hunter Pence made his big league debut on Saturday night and drew immediate attention from readers John Ryan and Kevin Gee, both of whom noted that Pence wears only one batting glove. As you can see in the photo at right, Pence also takes pains to hike up his pants, which led to a spirited discussion between ’Stros announcers Bill Brown, Jim Deshaies, and Greg Lucas during the top of the 6th on Saturday evening:
Bill Brown: Hunter Pence was very excited tonight, because he got to pull up his uniform pants and show some socks. The Astros do not allow their minor league players to wear the uniform pants that way. But he asked Tom Wiedenbauer, the field coordinator of the minor leagues, “Now, in the major leagues we can wear the pants the way we want to, right?” And he said yup.
Jim Deshaies: Why can’t they wear their pants like that in the minor leagues?
Brown: I don’t know.
Deshaies: That’s the way you’re supposed to wear your pants! That’s how it’s been done for 100 years!
Brown: That’s the rule.
Greg Lucas: But that’s my point. My point is I’m old-school — I wanna see the white sanitaries, which they don’t wear anymore.
Brown: No.
Lucas: I wanna see the stirrups. Not those soccer socks.
Brown: Well, you can probably find a league where they wear those somewhere, Greg.
Lucas: Y’know, I remember when I first was coming in, and a lot of Latin players started doing it. I was working with the Rangers and I asked the equipment manager, “Do you supply them with these?” And he said, “No way, they get ’em on their own.” Of course, that’s changed now.
Deshaies: Those two-in-one socks, those are kinda bogus.
Lucas: Little hokey.
Deshaies: Little stripe painted on the side of ’em. … I’ll have to do some further research on minor league dress codes.
[Johnny Estrada, who wears stirrups, comes up to bat and promptly singles.]
Deshaies: There you go, Greg — Johnny Estrada’s old-school.
Lucas: See, good things happen to guys who wear stirrups.
Deshaies: He doesn’t have his pants bloused, but he’s got ’em up. I remember when I was coming up in the youth leagues and the minor leagues, you had to blouse your pants. In the Yankee organization, yeah. You had to kind of fold ’em under and put your pants on inside-out. And then you’d fold your stirrup down over the pant leg.
Lucas: Most of the players now don’t have any idea how to do that. Even if they wanted to.
Deshaies: That was a ritual.
Lucas: Yeah.
The big news there, of course, is that the Astros don’t allow their farmhands to go high-cuffed. We’ve all heard of organizations that require their minor leaguers to show plenty of sock (the Reds, Cardinals, and Mets have all done this in recent years), but this is the first I’ve heard of a team instituting a low-cuff policy. Lots of people in that front office who Don’t Get It™, apparently. John Ryan, who first brought this matter to my attention, is so distressed that he says he’s “seriously considering writing the Astros front office to complain,” and who can blame him? If you want to do likewise, you can reach the Astros at 501 Crawford Street, Houston, TX 77002, and (713) 259-8000.
A Few Comments About Comments: For those of who you participate in the comments section (something that everyone is welcome and encouraged to do, of course), here are some pointers, suggestions, requests, and things to keep in mind:
• If you try to post a comment and it doesn’t appear in the listing, and/or if you get message saying that your comment is a “duplicate,” it probably means your comment has mistakenly been captured by our spam filter. Sometimes this is because a comment had a lot of links (a common spambot tip-off); at other times it’s because, um, I really have no idea. In any case, I realize how frustrating it is — my apologies to anyone who’s had to deal with this problem. If it happens to you in the future, try posting under a different user name (just put a space in front of your usual name, for example) and/or a different e-mail (it can be a fake one) — that sometimes helps. If you still can’t get your post to appear, e-mail me and let me know that one of your comments may be caught in the spam filter. I’ll deal with it and restore your post as soon as I can. And believe me, if you could see the hundreds of spams that get caught in the filter every day, you’d agree that the inconvenience is worth it.
• If you’re composing a long comment, it’s always good to highlight it (command-A) and then save it (command-C) before posting it, just in case something goes wrong, so you won’t have to type it all over again. Basically, treat a comment like you’d treat any other document that you don’t want to lose: Back it up.
• Interpersonal etiquette in the comments section is pretty good these days, but every now and then an asshole shows up. If you see a comment that’s abusive (toward me, toward another reader, even toward you), please-please-please resist the urge to respond in kind. The best way to frustrate a blowhard who’s seeking attention is to not give him that attention. Instead, just e-mail me and let me know what’s up. I’ll delete the offensive post and, if necessary, block the offender from posting again.
• I can’t tell you how thrilled I’d be if the terms “threw up in my mouth” and “not so much” and “tool” never appeared in the comments section again. Ever. These mindless buzz phrases are, to me, much more irksome than the occasional vulgarity.
• Please, I beg of you, try to avoid the predictably stupid comment. If someone links to a photo of sexy female athlete and comments on her uniform, ask yourself if you really want to be the moron who then posts, “What uniform? I didn’t notice any uniform!” It’s lazy, pointless, and embarrassing for everyone. Also, please remember the simple rule I instituted a few months ago: If you post, “Whoo-hoo, first post of the day!” as the first post of the day, it will be deleted.
Uni Watch News Ticker: In case you missed it on Friday, the Steelers’ new throwback uniform will look like this (additional pics here, here, here, and here). … Torii Hunter got a facelift the other day (okay, he actually he got hit by a pitch and had to get bandaged up). … Uni Watch intern and proud Cleveland resident Vince Grzegorek reports that the city’s Terminal Tower has been bedecked with giant Cavs jerseys, weighing over 100 pounds each, in honor of the team’s playoff run. Further details and pics here and here. The name on the back of each jersey reads, “Rise Up” (ugh), which is part of a marketing plan discussed in greater detail (somehow with a straight face) here. … Vince also notes that Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga has an eyebrow piercing. … New uniforms for the Japanese Table Tennis Association (with thanks to Jeremy Brahm, who notes, “This is the first time that the women have had a skirt to wear with their top instead of shorts”). … Jeremy also reports that Celtic FC in Scotland will be wearing special commemorative uniforms next season, to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1967 European Championship team, and that the Houston Dynamo wore a jersey patch yesterday, in commemoration of their 2006 MLS Cup. … Not truly uni-related, but there’s a good article here about how the reliever with the least service time has to stock and carry the bullpen bag full of snacks and supplies. … Major shirt-tag issues the other night for Rockies starter Jason Hirsh (with thanks to Andrew Bashuk). … Uni Watch singer-songwriter czarette Jules Verdone reports that Vin Scully referred to the Padres’ 1970s design as “those ugly taco- and mustard-colored uniforms” during yesterday’s broadcast. … DC United wore Virginia Tech colors and a memorial patch on Saturday. Further details here. … The London College of Fashion is redesigning Scotland Yard’s uniforms (with thanks to Brinke Guthrie). … Here’s something I’ve never seen before: Japanese catcher Tomoya Satozaki has his name and uni number on the side of his shinguards (yet another great catch by Jeremy Brahm). … Nice work by Sara Corman (that’s her in the navy cap), who attended a rainy Springfield Cardinals game on Friday night and snapped several pics of Cory Rauschenberger, whose 14-letter surname would be an MLB record if he ever makes it to the bigs (unless Braves prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia gets promoted first). “Like I said in the comments section a few weeks ago, Cory legally changed his last name from Meacham to Rauschenberger before the start of this season,” Sara writes. “It would be interesting to find out if he changed his name with that record in mind.” … I have no idea what this is, but they linked to Uni Watch. Anyone know what language that is? … My condolences to all Cardinals fans regarding the loss of Josh Hancock, who’ll be memorialized with a “32″ sleeve patch for the rest of this season.
April 30th, 2007
One winter all-star game down, two to go. The NBA All-Star Game package was unveiled yesterday, and the big news is that the league has finally succumbed to logo creep. The Adidas logo has been stamped on the shorts, marking the first time that a manufacturer’s logo has appeared on an NBA game uni. A league spokesperson assured me yesterday that there are no plans for the logo to appear on regular season uniforms, but this isn’t a good sign, especially since Adidas also put their ubiquitous triple-stripe design on the sides of the All-Star Game shorts and jerseys, plus they’ve got their logo on the headbands and wristbands, effectively making this the Adidas All-Star Game.
Such branding shenanigans notwithstanding, I think the uniforms look pretty good, especially by past All-Star Game standards. This year’s game is being played in Las Vegas, so there was major potential for excess, but they went with a cool retro logo for the game and relatively restrained designs for the jerseys — I like. Even that fliterring-diamond stardust pattern on the side panels works surprisingly well. The only downer is the rear view — I’m not a fan of the two-tone effect, or of players wearing anything on their ass, and putting player names below the uni numbers has “because we can” written all over it — but it’s not a crippling blow.
The warm-up jackets look pretty solid, too. Much like last year, they’re using sleeve patches to chart each player’s past All-Star Game appearances, this time with a Vegas-inspired playing card motif (here’s the East version) — not bad.
Raffle Winner: I’m happy to announce that Matt Fitzpatrick of Brookline, Mass., is our raffle winner for the NHL All-Star jersey. Major thanks to all who entered, and for all the kind words about the site that many of you sent along. More raffles to come in the weeks and months ahead.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Richard Grossman says he was “almost blinded” by Josh Smith’s gold sneakers when he attended Wednesday night’s Celtics/Hawks game. “The entire game, instead of getting mad at the Celtics for blowing a lead, my only other thoughts were on those shoes,” he writes. “Thanks for getting me thinking more aesthetically at a sports event.” … Amusing logo creep cartoon here (with thanks to Gordie Fall). … Fantastic article here about the guy who paints Michigan’s helmets (with extra-special thanks to Chad Klenk, who had to grit his teeth to send an article about his beloved OSU’s arch rivals). … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Andy Roddick began his Australian Open semifinal match against Roger Federer wearing a white shirt, but then he changed into a black shirt midway through the third set (not that it helped any). … Food for thought from Phil Morris, who writes: “You know darn well that the NHL will have the Sabres wear Stanley Cup patches on their jerseys if they make it to the finals. Where will the captains and alternate capt’s wear these patches? Both the right and left upper chest areas are occupied on the current jerseys, and the shoulders have the ‘pierced B’ logo.” … Logo Creep Alert from Zach Hilpert, who came across this notebook at the William & Mary bookstore. “These notebooks are not performance-enhanced,” he writes. “They hold the same amount of sheets as the generic versions, and ‘college ruled’ means the same no matter which you tablet you purchase. The big difference is, for the privilege of shilling for Nike, you get to pay almost twice as much as for, say, the standard Mead/Five Star brand.” … Another table tennis player with atypical attire: Biba Golic (as spotted by Peter Rayno).
January 26th, 2007
We all know about clothes horses in tennis. But what about table tennis? (Please, don’t call it Ping-Pong.) I’d never much thought about the apparel in that sport until Jeremy Brahm recently alerted me to a Japanese player named Naomi Yotsumoto, who wore an off-the-shoulder dress and a geranium in her cranium during last week’s Japanese National Championship tourney.
Other players in the tournament wore outfits like this and this, and recent female table tennis players at the Olympics (yes, it’s an Olympic sport) have looked like this, this, this, and this. So what’s up with Yotsumoto’s outfits?
Jeremy was kind enough to translate the pertinent bits from this article, which helps explain Yotsumoto’s unusual attire:
Her uniform obsession began after she graduated from college. “I wanted to show myself. So with that, I wanted to change the image of ‘Table tennis is stupid.’ ”
She has designed the uniforms that she is wearing [in the Japanese National Championships]. She wore a cream number that exposed her left shoulder and also had a “Paris daisy” in her hair. She advanced to the quarterfinals in the mixed doubles, but lost in the fourth round of the women’s singles.
“Without a doubt, I wouldn’t wear gear that would be a hindrance to my play. (As for the loud uniforms), I understand the pros and cons, but I want to continue with it.”
According to this page, “Serious players wear real table tennis clothing.” But real is as real does, and anyone who has a “uniform obsession” is OK by me. Plus I like that Yotsumoto’s trying to counteract one kind of geekiness (playing table tennis) with another (uni obsession). Plus-plus she can’t possibly be as annoying as Serena Williams. So I say let her wear whatever she wants.
Media Blitz: I’ll be talking about the new NHL uniforms today’s All Things Considered show on NPR — I’m told my segment will air at 4:50pm. And then it’s more of the same on Wednesday night at about 10pm, when I’ll be appearing on the Face Off Hockey Show podcast. Imagine how many interviews I’d be doing if the NHL had actually revealed anything substantive yesterday…
NHL All-Star Raffle: Speaking of the new NHL unis: As noted in yesterday’s FAQ roundup, the league was kind enough to give me an authentic Eastern Conference All-Star jersey at last week’s little media gathering. Now I’m going to be kind enough to raffle it off, and I’m expecting you folks to be kind enough to turn it into a good fund-raiser. Are we all a bunch of wonderful people or what?
First, here are the details on the jersey itself: It’s a size 54, in perfect condition (except maybe for a couple of stray cat hairs from Uni Watch mascots Tucker and Caitlin). The All-Star Game logo is embroidered on the shoulder. The back is blank, except for the embroidered Reebok logo. All tags are intact (collar, front, sleeve). Includes fight strap.
The raffle will cost $5 per entry. So $5 gets your name in the hat once, $10 gets it in twice, etc. PayPal your entry to me at paul_lukas at earthlink dot net by 10pm Thursday, and I’ll announce the winner on Friday. If you’re not PayPal-ish but still want to enter, put a check in the mail (Paul Lukas, 671 DeGraw St., Brooklyn, NY 11217) and e-mail me to let me know — I’ll put your name in even if the check doesn’t arrive in time for the drawing.
Uni Watch Winter Party Tour: Okay, my February travel plans are finally firmed up, and I’m happy to announce that there will be Uni Watch parties in three separate cities over a six-day period, which will surely set some sort of record for uni-based debauchery. Here’s the scoop:
February 3rd, Brooklyn: Forget Super Sunday — the real action will be on Saturday, as we gather at 3pm at the 12th Street Bar (corner of 8th Ave. and 12th St.; take the F train to 7th Ave.). The big news is that the bartender will be former Village Voice sports editor Miles Seligman, the man who once said, “A column about uniforms? That’s the stupidest-ass idea I’ve ever heard!” Alright, so that’s not quite what he said. Webmaster Johnny Ek is planning to be on hand too, plus design director Scott M.X. Turner, Mets by the Numbers webmaster Jon Springer, and we’re even flying in Jeremy Brahm for the occasion. Okay, no we’re not. But we would if we could! Anyway, it should be a kickass time.
February 7th, San Francisco: Uni Watch’s first-ever west coast shindig will take place at 7:30pm, at a venue still to be determined (although I’m seriously considering the Latin American Club — your thoughts, San Franciscans?). Further details soon.
February 8th, Dallas: We also need a venue for this get-together, which will commence at 7:30pm. I know exactly zero about Dallas, so help me out, people. Please keep in mind that while I love sports and love bars, I hate sports bars. A simple neighborhood watering hole is more my speed. Little help..?
And if anyone somehow manages to attend all three parties, first round’s on me.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Remember our discussion a few months back about target-esque hockey jersey logos? Ethan Rowley was reminded of that when he saw this old comic strip. … “Your talk of Oakland University’s mismatched shirts and shorts prompted me to send this picture of the Quebec City Kebewa of the ABA,” writes Doug Brei. “They aren’t exactly mismatched, but they are some of the most interesting uniforms I’ve seen in years. The road uniforms are the ones that are really bizarre. They’re so unique that for some reason I don’t hate them as much as I should.” … Interesting note from Jeremy Brahm, who writes: “I just learned about something called the Masters [baseball] League in Japan. It’s for retired players to play from November to February, which is the traditional off-season in Japanese baseball. The five teams have some pretty funky uniforms, as seen in these photos of the Sapporo Ambitious (player names are beneath the numbers), Nagoya 80D’sers, Tokyo Dreams, Osaka Romans (names beneath the numbers again, plus look at the blue trim on the sleeves), and Fukuoka Dontakus (can you say Vancouver Canucks V?).”
January 23rd, 2007
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