The 88th Academy Awards are this Sunday. Award shows are a Twitter perfect storm because they combine celebrities in one location with awkward moments and people at home on their couches who think their opinion matters. Yes, I’m guilty of that last one.
This year should be an interesting Academy Awards. I’m no movie buff by any means, but much like George Costanza, I’d like to be a buff of something. I was able to see four of the movies nominated for best picture (The Martian, The Revenant, Spotlight, and Mad Max) which is more than I usually see. I liked them all, but none strike me as classics. Who knows, they could be one day. Again, I’m no movie buff.
America’s greatest pastime and the cinema have an illustrious history. Unlike the other major sports, baseball is a romantic game which can make for great drama on screen. From The Natural, toBull Durham, Field of Dreams, and Moneyball, baseball has been well represented at The Oscars. Unfortunately we will not see any baseball movies nominated this year, so I decided to create the Baseball Academy Awards.
Baseball Academy Award for Best Picture
Nominations:
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers: Brooklyn (for obvious reasons)
1988 Los Angeles Dodgers: The Revenant
1977 New York Yankees: Mad Max Fury Road
1989 Oakland Athletics: Spotlight
Winner: 1977 New York Yankees: Mad Max Fury Road
A film about a dystopian hellscape overrun by maniacs where nothing makes sense, but works out in the end, sounds a lot like the 1977 New York Yankees.
Managed by Billy Martin, the ’77 team was coming off a World Series loss to the juggernaut Reds. There were high expectations for the Yanks who brought in slugger Reggie Jackson to add some thump to the middle of the order that already featured Thurman Munson and Chris Chambliss. The season featured many wild moments, both on-field and off, that eventually sparked the phrase “The Bronx is Burning.” Martin and Steinbrenner notoriously argued and disagreed on key issues when it came to managing the team. Steinbrenner was a hands-on owner, which meant he felt he knew as much about managing a bullpen or making a lineup card as the manager did.
In June, Reggie Jackson was famously quoted (it is up for debate) in Sport magazine that he is “the straw that stirs the drink.” He was also pulled from right field in the middle of an inning during a game at Fenway because Martin thought he dogged a play. This sparked a face-to-face screaming match between Martin and Jackson in the dugout for the entire stadium and TV cameras to see.
https://youtu.be/s1VdBqFcrjY?t=558
Despite the perceived turmoil in the clubhouse, the Yankees eventually reached the World Series, where during game 2 the Bronx was literally burning. Thanks to a historic performance in a clinching game 6 by Reggie, the Yankees were once again champions of the baseball world.
Baseball Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominations:
Don Mattingly as Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
George Steinbrenner as Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs
Mike Trout as Matt Damon in The Martian
Yogi Berra as anybody in The Big Short (height joke)
Winner: Don Mattingly as Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
A lot of people are saying Leo is finally going to get off the schneid and win an Oscar for his performance in The Revenant, but I just do not see it. I can think of 10 movies Leo was better in, so him winning for The Revenant would almost be like a lifetime achievement award. Up until now however, Leo has not won much like Donnie Baseball never won a championship.
Mattingly spent his prime years playing for an average-at-best Yankees team. From 1984-89 Mattingly posted a .902 OPS, but his Hall of Fame type numbers were not enough to propel the Yankees to the playoffs. By the time the team was good enough, Mattingly was deep into the back nine of his career that had been derailed by injuries. When he finally made it to October in 1995, the Yankees lost in a dramatic 5 game series to the Mariners. Mattingly was not shut-out though.
Mattingly would retire after the ’95 season, just before the Yankees went on their historic late-90’s run. I always felt bad for Donnie because of this. By the time he returned to baseball in 2004 it was as Yanks’ hitting coach, just in time for more darkness in Yankees history. I always thought perhaps, like Leo, Don Mattingly was never meant to win.
Baseball Academy Award for Costume Design
Nominations:
1982 St. Louis Cardinals
1977 Pittsburgh Pirates
1976 Chicago White Sox
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers
Winner: 1977 Pittsburgh Pirates
You might be wondering where the Yankees uni’s are. First of all, they have not changed much since 1912, when the New York Highlanders first dawned the pinstripes. Starting in 1915 the Yankees made the pinstripes their official home uniform and have not looked back.
This award category is to honor some of the more ridiculous uniforms in baseball history, none more outrageous and iconic than the 1977 Pirates. The epitome 1970s fashion, the bright yellow and black polyester pullovers were in the Pirates uniform rotation in the late 70s. I don’t think it is any coincidence that the franchise has not won a championship since this era.
What really puts these uni’s over the top are the hats. The black pillbox style hats with yellow horizontal stripes were in style at the time. Now they are ironic, but still magnificent.
Baseball Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Nominations:
Coco Crisp’s afro
Rollie Fingers’ mustache
Dennis Eckersley’s flow
Bryce Harper’s hair flip
Winner: Dennis Eckersley
This is without a doubt the strongest category. All of the contenders have something to offer. Coco’s afro never failed to make me laugh. Rollie Fingers grew his mustache for a $300 bonus but then kept it and formed the “Mustache Gang.” Bryce’s hair flip is going to look so damn good in the Bronx. But none of these compare to Eck’s flow and mustache combo because he is still rocking the same style today. Seriously, the dude is stuck in the 80s. These two pictures were taken about 30 years apart:
It is also important to note that three of the four nominees played in Oakland. It must be something in the water out there.
Baseball Academy Award for Best Music
Nominations:
Mitch Williams: “Wild Thing”
Manny Ramirez: “Good Times (I Get High)”
Mariano Rivera: “Enter Sandman”
Josh Reddick: “Careless Whisper”
Winner: Mariano Rivera: “Enter Sandman”
Are you ready for a little walk-up music history? Apparently “walk-up” music dates back to 1939, when the Brooklyn Dodgers Sym-phony Band would play various tunes to entertain fans at Ebbets Field. They were also famous for playing “Three Blind Mice” if the umpires missed a call (what a hoot!). Now it seems players prefer to blast the latest Drake song to approach the batters box.
My favorite walk-up or entry music, like most Yankees fans, is “Enter Sandman”. Just like a ninth inning lead with Mariano warming in the pen, Mo’s entry music was a lock to win this category. Opponents would soil themselves as soon as the first guitar note went over the speakers at Yankee Stadium. Best relief pitcher in baseball history. Best pitcher in post season history. Best entry music in baseball history. Not a bad resume for the man who will receive his much deserved plaque in Monument Park this summer.
