Weekend Reading: Lobster And Instant Noodles

For reasons unbeknown to even myself, the Weekend Reading feature disappeared from this blog a couple months ago.  Today Weekend Reading returns, with good baseball-ish reading from around the web. I would also like to make a quick programming note: The blog maybe a little bit barren over the next couple of weeks because Ted and I are both in the process of moving.  We appreciate your patience, and if you feel like filling the void with a Situational Essay, please drop a line.

• Jonah Keri has a really nice essay on Canadian-ness, Haverford College (Alma Mater of PnP ally Ben), and how Joe Carter is responsible for his happy marriage.

• This is old, but I really want to link to it. Jack-of-all-trades Ken Levine imagines Aaron Sorkin's take on Moneyball. The tonal accuracy is almost scary, especially if you are a West Wing fan:

EXT. KAUFFMAN STADIUM -- NIGHT
THE MANAGER, LEO, TROTS OUT TO THE MOUND TO TALK TO BELEAGURED PITCHER, DANNY (THERE’S ALWAYS A DANNY). THE BASES ARE LOADED. THE CROWD IS GOING NUTS. IT’S GAME SEVEN OF THE WORLD SERIES.
LEO
You can’t get a good lobster in this town.
DANNY
Last I checked we were in Kansas City.
LEO
4.6 billion pork ribs sold every year and 18.9 tons of beef consumed annually since 1997 –
DANNY
They like their beef, what can I tell ya?
LEO
But you’d think just for variety’s sake.
DANNY
I can still throw my curve.

• East Windup Chronicle has a hilarious look at the often ridiculous names foreign players used to be given in the Chinese Professional Baseball League:

Some standout examples: Pitcher Jose Nunez was originally going to be named “Man-Han (滿漢) ” after a President brand of instant noodles, but the team thought twice after a poor spring training. Jose Cano–Yankee Robinson’s Dad–was named “A-Q (阿Q)”, also after a brand of instant noodles. Former Sinon Bull Timothy Fortugno’s name “Feng Qing” translates to “Amourous Feelings (風情)”, while probably the best name belonged to pitcher Chinatrust pitcher Derek Hasselhoff, who was named “Li-Mai-Ke (李麥克)”, the Chinese name for Michael Knight from Knight Rider. Sinon Pitcher Gustavo Lopez was named “Feng-Kang” (楓康) after a brand of plastic and aluminum kitchen products, one of several Sinon players named after household items.

*In a semi-related story, my friend Brett went to school in Nanjing and said the English names that Chinese kids gave themselves were often hilarious along the same lines. His roommate (I think it was his roommate) named himself Legolas, for example, after the Lord of the Rings character.

• Jose Rijo and Raul Mondesi are running against one another for the position of mayor of San Cristobal, in the Dominican Republic. I'd like to take this moment to announce the first ever Pitchers & Poets political endorsement. We will be supporting Sr. Mondesi in his candidacy.