Saturday, February 28, 2015

Goodbye February. Hello Grapefruit League.

I don't have to tell most Red Sox fans in New England and the Northeast what a brutal winter this has been. Boston has been blitzed the last couple of months with snow, and down here in NYC, it has been cold and miserable, even if the snowfall totals have been a lot less.

February is coming to a merciful end. Good riddance.

And that means that baseball is returning. The Red Sox open their Spring Training schedule on Tuesday with the traditional doubleheader against the college kids, Northeastern and Boston College. Then on Thursday they play their Ft. Myers rival Minnesota Twins to open up the MLB Grapefruit League schedule.

Courtesy of  Redsox.com, here is the complete broadcast schedule of the games from Florida. (There are a few games that will not be broadcast either on TV or radio.):

DateOpponentTime(ET)TVRadio

March

Tuesday, March 3vs. Boston College1:05 PMWEEI 850
Tuesday, March 3vs. Northeastern U.1:05 PMWEEI 850
Thursday, March 5@Minnesota7:05 PMMLBNWEEI 93.7
Saturday, March 7vs. Minnesota1:05 PMWEEI 93.7
Sunday, March 8@NY Mets1:10 PMNESNWEEI 93.7
Wednesday, March 11@NY Yankees1:05 PMMLBN
Friday, March 13vs. NY Yankees7:05 PMNESN, MLBNWEEI 93.7
Saturday, March 14vs. Pittsburgh1:05 PMWEEI 93.7
Sunday, March 15@Philadelphia1:05 PMNESNWEEI 93.7
Tuesday, March 17vs. Atlanta1:05 PMNESN, MLBN
Saturday, March 21@Pittsburgh1:05 PMNESN, MLBN (delay)WEEI 93.7
Sunday, March 22vs. Philadelphia1:05 PMNESN, MLBN (delay)WEEI 93.7
Friday, March 27@Atlanta1:05 PMESPN
Saturday, March 28@Tampa Bay1:05 PMMLBN (delay)WEEI 93.7
Sunday, March 29vs. Tampa Bay1:05 PMNESN, MLBNWEEI 93.7
Monday, March 30vs. Minnesota7:05 PMNESN, MLBNWEEI 93.7
Tuesday, March 31@Tampa Bay1:05 PMNESN, MLBN (delay)

April

Wednesday, April 1vs. Toronto1:05 PMNESN
Thursday, April 2@Minnesota7:05 PMMLBN
Friday, April 3vs. Minnesota7:05 PMNESNWEEI 93.7
Saturday, April 4@Minnesota1:05 PMNESNWEEI 93.7

Plenty of Odd Stuff For Trivia On Sunday


Trivia Night will return to Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant on Sunday night, March 1st at 7 PM. The bar was  a bit empty last week, as the Academy Awards ceremony probably kept most folks home. So we will give "Academy Awards Trivia" another go as the Special Category. It will seven questions about the Oscars down through the years. The Q Train lightning round will be "Odd Numbered Trivia." I will ask you ten general knowledge questions, with all answers being odd numbers between 1 and 50. And every answer will be a different one.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What is the second largest planet in our solar system?"

We'll get going at 7 PM. Foley's is located at 18 West 33rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. There will be drink specials throughout the Trivia Night. I hope to see many of you this Sunday night for a great night of Trivia to kick off the month of March!

Friday, February 27, 2015

A Baseball Weekend In Boston

My good friend and fellow Red Sox fanatic Alan Burnce is part of a nonprofit organization called Open Road, which is based out of Portland, Oregon and does fine work helping teenagers.

Alan recently alerted me to a fund raising effort that is currently going on, and it involves the Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Open Road currently has a raffle going on that the winner will get two tickets to the complete weekend series between the Red Sox and Yankees at Fenway Park from May 1-3. The package also includes a three-night stay at the Hotel Buckminster, which is just a stone's throw from the Fens (and where the plot to throw the 1919 World Series was supposedly hatched by the Black Sox, for you baseball history buffs).

The winner also gets complete roundtrip airfare included in the package, from anywhere in the contiguous 48 states in the US. One ticket is $25, three tickets are $70, and five tickets are $110. Please click this link to get more information on the complete fund raising effort. The sweepstakes concludes on March 20th.

So, if you'd like to see the Red Sox wallop the Yankees this May, while doing something special to help out teenagers in the Portland, Oregon area, I encourage you to take a chance and grab a ticket.

You've got be in it to win it. All the best to Alan and all the good folks at Open Road.

"Playing Pepper 2015: Boston Red Sox"

I had the pleasure in taking part in a survey of Red Sox bloggers this past week to see our thoughts on the team and the upcoming 2015 season.

It is done through the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, which I am a proud member. Daniel Shoptaw, who runs the fine St. Louis Cardinals blog C70 At The Bat, surveyed four of us this spring about questions like where the Red Sox will finish in 2015, our opinions of the Sox offseason, how ex-Cardinals Joe Kelly and Allen Craig will fare this season, and who will make the most strides this season on the club.

Please do check out "Playing Pepper 2015: Boston Red Sox," and check out some of my deep thoughts about the upcoming season.

My thanks to Daniel for letting me participate in his survey.

Monday, February 23, 2015

We're Back Next Sunday at 7 PM

Well, as the previous post's headline said, the Oscars DID dominate Trivia on Sunday. And I'm guessing that a lot of folks stayed home and watched the show, and unfortunately, we didn't have enough people for a proper Trivia Night, so it did not happen last night.

But we will return with another edition of Sunday Night Trivia at Foley's next Sunday, March 1st, at 7 PM. Hope to see you then.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Oscars Dominate Trivia On Sunday


Our second edition of Sunday Night Trivia at Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant will feature "Academy Awards Trivia" as the Special Category, in honor of the Oscar ceremony that will be starting later that evening. It will be seven questions in the recent history of the awards. The Q Train lightning round will be "First Oscar Win Trivia", as I will give you the names of ten current actors and actresses and you have to tell me which film they won their first (or only) Oscar for.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Since 1980, the shekel has been the currency of what country?"

We get started at 7 PM on Sunday night, and thankfully it will be about 30 degrees warmer than it was last Sunday! Foley's is at 18 West 33rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, across from the Empire State Building, and the bar's phone number is 212-290-0080. Hope to see many of you for a great night of Trivia before another work week begins!

Monday, February 16, 2015

Trivia Q&A: February 15

It was an absolutely brutally cold night on Sunday night, as we did our very first Trivia Night at Foley's on 33rd Street. Just a small crowd turned out, but everything went well. Those in attendance enjoyed it, and Foley's has a terrific staff, and that made the night enjoyable for me. It is a great place to do Trivia, with lots of tables and a great sound system.

The team of Polka Kings won the night, getting 46 points and winning by nine points. Congratulations to Cato and Bob on their victory, and I appreciate seeing them so much, as they have been loyal regulars from my other Trivia venues.

The first weather forecasts for next Sunday are a whole lot better, with temperatures possibly reaching 40 degrees. Let's hope so! And once again, thanks to those of you who turned out last night.

Current Events
1. The Economist recently selected what North American city as "The World's Best City to Live In", based on factors including safety, livability and cost of living?
2. What city was chosen last Thursday to host the 2016 Democratic Convention?
3. What electronics retailer recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and will sell off more than 2400 stores?
4. An 1892 oil painting, done by what 19th century French artist, was recently sold at a London auction for close to $300 million, one of the highest prices ever to be paid for an artwork?
5. What pop singer won for Grammys at last Sunday night's Grammy Awards?
6. Dean Smith, the legendary college basketball coach who won 879 games in Division 1, died last week at the age of 83. What school did he win the majority of games at?
7. What company became the first American one to be valued at more than $700 billion last week?

Presidential Trivia
1. What 20th century president was the first to be inaugurated on January 20th?
2. At 6' 4", who was the tallest US president?
3. Who was the last US president who did not attend college?
4. Name 1 of the 2 presidents who were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
5. Who was the only US president born in California?
6. Name 1 of the 2 US presidents who never delivered a State of the Union address.
7. Who was the oldest man elected president?

States' Largest City Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Texas
2. Connecticut
3. Kansas
4. Delaware
5. New Jersey
6. Tennessee
7. Florida
8. Missouri
9. Alaska
10. North Carolina

General Knowledge
1. The Great Barrier Reef is located on what ocean? ( 1 pt)
2. How many pawns does one player get in a chess game? ( 1 pt)
3. The rover called Sojourner explored what planet in 1997? ( 1 pt)
4. Who was the first cartoon character to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? ( 2 pt)
5. Latka Gravas was a fictional character on what TV sitcom? ( 2 pt)
6. The cities of Carlsbad and Las Cruces are found in what US state? ( 2 pt)
7. How many black keys are there on a standard piano? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Vermont was the first state to enter the Union after the original 13 colonies. What state was second to join in 1792? ( 4 points)
2. With the Kansas City Royals winning the AL pennant in 2014, what MLB team has now gone the longest without making the playoffs? ( 5 points)
3. What western US state is the leading gold-producing state in the US in 2014? ( 4 points)
4. Curtis Strange is in the Hall of Fame in what sport? ( 3 points)
5. In May 2014, Eric Garcetti became the first Jewish mayor of what US city? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Toronto; 2. Philadelphia; 3. Radio Shack; 4. Paul Gauguin; 5. Sam Smith; 6. North Carolina; 7. Apple.

Presidential Trivia
1. FDR; 2. Abraham Lincoln; 3. Harry Truman; 4. JFK and William H. Taft; 5. Richard Nixon; 6. James Garfield and William Henry Harrison; 7. Ronald Reagan.

States' Largest City Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Houston; 2. Bridgeport; 3. Wichita; 4. Wilmington; 5. Newark; 6. Memphis; 7. Jacksonville; 8. Kansas City; 9. Anchorage; 10. Charlotte.

General Knowledge
1. Pacific; 2. eight; 3. Mars; 4. Mickey Mouse; 5. "Taxi"; 6. New Mexico; 7. thirty-six.

IQ Trivia
1. Kentucky; 2. Toronto Blue Jays; 3. Nevada; 4. golf; 5. Los Angeles.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

A New Trivia Era Begins Tomorrow at Foley's


On Sunday night, we begin a new era in my Trivia Night as we will debut at Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant, which is located at 18 West 33rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, at 7 PM.

It will be every Sunday at 7 PM, and it will be the same format that many of you have been at my Trivia Night have known and loved: 5 categories, 2 special categories (including "The Q Train" lightning round), with the staple categories of General Knowledge, Current Events and IQ Trivia.

The prizes will be similar as well. $50 gift certificate to the pub for the winners, $20 gift certificate for second, and a pitcher of beer for third place. We'll also have a pitcher for the Best Team Name.

We will kick off out inaugural night at Foley's with "Presidential Trivia" as the Special Category, in honor of this being Presidents Day weekend. It will seven questions about the men who have occupied the highest office in the land. The Q Train lightning round will be "States' Largest City Trivia," as I will give you 10 US states, and you will tell me what the current largest city in population there is.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"The rover called Sojourner explored what planet in 1997?"

We get started at 7 PM. The phone number for Foley's is 212-290-0080. It's one of New York's finest sports bars, across from the Empire State Building, and now Trivia has returned there as well. It's going to be a bit chilly tomorrow night, but I hope to see many of you then!

Thursday, February 12, 2015

A Happy and Blessed Truck Day To You All


Despite Boston being blitzed by snow over the last few weeks, the annual tradition of Truck Day is going on as scheduled at Fenway.

It is the first sign of spring and the return of baseball. Here's what the Red Sox will be sending down to Ft. Myers:

• 20,400 baseballs
•1,100 bats
• 200 batting gloves
• 200 batting helmets
• 320 Batting Practice tops
• 160 white game jerseys
• 300 pairs of pants
• 400 t-shirts
• 400 pairs of socks
• 20 cases of bubble gum
• 60 cases of sunflower seeds

It's been a brutal winter in New England and the Northeast, but spring is around the corner.

I'll be celebrating the day with some of my BLOHARDS cohorts at Foley's this afternoon. Enjoy Truck Day, everyone!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

New Logo, Same Great Trivia


We've got a new logo for our new Trivia Night at Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant, and it is the one above.

We get going this Sunday night, February 15th at 7 PM. It will be the same great Trivia Night you have all come to know and love at the other places I have done Trivia before: 5 categories, 2 special categories, $50 gift certificate to the bar for the winners.

I will posting the Sneak Peek question and the two special categories here on the blog every Saturday, and I put the Q&A for the night every Monday morning.

Looking forward to getting back in the saddle again. Just hoping the weather cooperates on Sunday. See you then!