There is always a presumption when Chase Utley doesn't produce at the plate that it's because he's hurt. I think handsome guys get the benefit of the doubt or something. The town was always oddly supportive of Pat Burrell when he struggled. Also, Darren Daulton has a heck of a legacy for a guy who hit 48 homers in his first seven years and retired as a .245 lifetime hitter. It's "The Bubble" as portrayed by Jon Hamm in his run on 30-Rock.
In my earliest days as a baseball fan, Mike Schmidt and Dale Murphy were the two best players in the National League. I presumed both were going to be Hall of Famers, and I was insecure that perhaps Murphy was the better of the two. In 1986, his last dominant year, he hit .295 with 44 home runs. In 1987, which he played majoritively at age 31 (equivalent of this year for Utley), he fell to .224 with 24 homers. He never again hit more than those 24 homer in any of the next final 6 years of his career.
Utley may have yet some good baseball in him. He may even have some star-level baseball. But it is taken too much for granted that he is (A) slumping or (B) injured. He could be (C) on the decline. I hope he's not. Fortunately for him, either way he's more handsome than, say, Garry Cobb.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Main Line Affair Expansion - near miss and moving forward
Those close to me know that the past seven days have been a real trial. In the business of party entertainment, a lot of the investment is not efficient without teaming up with other bands. For instance, I can optimize my website, but each date is a maximum of one engagement for practical purposes. Growth requires multiple bands.
The professional band with whom I used to perform recently offered itself as an acquisition target. A deal was reached and that band, along with Main Line Affair, were to be two core components of the new Atlantic States Entertainment, LLC (www.atlanticstatesentertainment.com - under construction). Money was exchanged and I was a moment away from making an announcement about that acquisition right here on this blog.
At about that moment, the seller advised that she was not, in fact, selling. She returned the money and basically put me in a position to sue her or walk away from the deal. I was all set for the former, and then a family member from her side asked me to please not do that. I was asked to put human compassion ahead of business gains. This relative was compelling and I allowed the deal to dissolve. Those folks who are close to me know who was involved and how much work I had invested in finishing the deal, which I had not sought, and which had been offered to me.
In the shadow of this disappointment, Atlantic States Entertainment will move forward. Affiliated acts are associates of mine; folks whom I know will do a good job whenever they go out on a gig. Main Line Affair (www.mainlineaffair.com) is the flagship for the company which it was always targeted to be.
For anyone who reads this and breaks my code, let me point out that an agent in this business (F.A.) made a really positive impression on me. He helped all parties navigate through a bad situation.
I was reminded though, of the contrast between the unit I've put together and the one for whom I used to work. They are unquestionably among the best collection of musicians in the area. There are advantages to Main Line Affair.
(1) Main Line Affair is less focused on a single genre. One minute we're a Motown Band, then we're an 80's band, then classic rock, jazz, etc etc etc. We are all over the place!
(2) Main Line Affair puts on a continuous presentation. There is no CD player or ipod needed as we string together live music from beginning to end every time.
(3) Main Line Affair members are the kind of people you want at your party. They are polite, witty, articulate, clean, respectful, and impressed with YOU, our client.
The joy Main Line Affair gets from being a part of your party (did anyone see Bobby Gordon lead a whole wedding in the conga line last week? See the August 7 testimonial www.mainlineaffair.com/testimonials/html ?) Hire a band who is as excited about your party as you are.
"If you go to bed with dogs, you wake up with fleas"
-respected American captain of industry
The professional band with whom I used to perform recently offered itself as an acquisition target. A deal was reached and that band, along with Main Line Affair, were to be two core components of the new Atlantic States Entertainment, LLC (www.atlanticstatesentertainment.com - under construction). Money was exchanged and I was a moment away from making an announcement about that acquisition right here on this blog.
At about that moment, the seller advised that she was not, in fact, selling. She returned the money and basically put me in a position to sue her or walk away from the deal. I was all set for the former, and then a family member from her side asked me to please not do that. I was asked to put human compassion ahead of business gains. This relative was compelling and I allowed the deal to dissolve. Those folks who are close to me know who was involved and how much work I had invested in finishing the deal, which I had not sought, and which had been offered to me.
In the shadow of this disappointment, Atlantic States Entertainment will move forward. Affiliated acts are associates of mine; folks whom I know will do a good job whenever they go out on a gig. Main Line Affair (www.mainlineaffair.com) is the flagship for the company which it was always targeted to be.
For anyone who reads this and breaks my code, let me point out that an agent in this business (F.A.) made a really positive impression on me. He helped all parties navigate through a bad situation.
I was reminded though, of the contrast between the unit I've put together and the one for whom I used to work. They are unquestionably among the best collection of musicians in the area. There are advantages to Main Line Affair.
(1) Main Line Affair is less focused on a single genre. One minute we're a Motown Band, then we're an 80's band, then classic rock, jazz, etc etc etc. We are all over the place!
(2) Main Line Affair puts on a continuous presentation. There is no CD player or ipod needed as we string together live music from beginning to end every time.
(3) Main Line Affair members are the kind of people you want at your party. They are polite, witty, articulate, clean, respectful, and impressed with YOU, our client.
The joy Main Line Affair gets from being a part of your party (did anyone see Bobby Gordon lead a whole wedding in the conga line last week? See the August 7 testimonial www.mainlineaffair.com/testimonials/html ?) Hire a band who is as excited about your party as you are.
"If you go to bed with dogs, you wake up with fleas"
-respected American captain of industry
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