Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Alyssa Milano 'signs an autograph' via Twitter

When I was a kid, I was a fervent autograph collector (also known as a graph hound). Yesterday I got the 21st century version of an autograph.
When celebrity Alyssa Milano asked the twitterverse for a recipe for brussel sprouts, I responded. She then favorited my tweet. This acknowledgement provided the similar fulfillment that a celebrity signature did for me many years ago.
In reply to Alyssa Milano and 9 others
Rick CanaleRick Canale
@RickCanale
@Alyssa_Milano spilt them in half. salt, pepper and toss with olive oil. roast in over at 375 til tender.
04:45 PM - 25 Nov 13
Favorited by

Alyssa MilanoAlyssa Milano @Alyssa_Milano
☮, ♥, and BASEBALL. I tweet a lot. Consider yourself forewarned. My other accounts➛ @AlyssaDotCom @TouchByAM!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Boston Baseball Camp

For the second year in a row, my son attended the Boston Baseball Camp. This camp just celebrated its 24th year. and what a great camp it is. The camp takes place every July at West Roxbury High, which may go by another name at this time. It is right behind the Home Depot on the VFW Parkway.
What an awesome camp this is for all kids. My son is eight and cannot wait to go back next year. The camps run Monday through Friday from 9am-2pm and offer the kids a great way to really build a love for baseball. The camps is loaded with coaches and instructors who love baseball too. Each camper gets a Red Sox cap, subsidized by '47 Brand. Each camper gets a Boston Baseball Camp provided by Reebok who also provides all the equipment as well and each camper even gets a trophy.
The kids have fun, they play Hey Babe, watch The Sandlot, work on the basics and have the best time. Coaches not only keep the kids and in line but also foster a great love for the game. I highly recommend this camp to any kid. Did I mention that the camp is only $100 per week for Boston residents ? How do they do it. Thanks to the Yawkey Foundation who provides most of the funding for this amazing camp.


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Larry Lucchino Cares About Red Sox Fans One at a Time

a few months ago my 8 year old son came home and said I should be a Yankees fans. He is a huge fan of Fenway Park, but the Red Sox recent woes had made him look elsewhere. He argued that the Yankees had Babe Ruth, the greatest of all time.
Being a lifelong Red Sox fan, I was stumped. I wrote a letter to Sox chief Larry Lucchino asking for advice.
Here is the letter he wrote back.
"Dear Rick,
I received your 'urgent' note and wanted to lend a few ideas to ensure that your son remains a member of Red Sox Nation. You mentioned that your son's love of Fenway Park, and that's a good place to start as any. Yankee Stadium is a fine venue, to be sure, but nothing can match a Red Sox game at America's Most Beloved Ballpark with its 100 years of tradition (and counting).
Second, your son should consider the personalities of Red Sox past and present. From all-time greats like Ted Williams and Yaz to modern heroes like Big Papi and Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox have a lineage of ballplayers unlike any in our game's history. And while it's true the Yankees 'had' Babe Ruth, we did win three championships of our own with the Bambino and had the good sense to use him as both a pitcher and a  hitter.
Finally, I hope your son continues to see the payoff in rooting for our club instead of the Yankees. Supporting the Yankees is like rooting for the Roman Empire (or even the 'Evil Empire' - as I once said about our rivals to the south). Encourage your son to pick the good side as he considers his baseball loyalties. We look forward to calling your son one of our most loyal fans. "
                                                    Sincerely,
                                                Larry Lucchino
P.S. Enclosed is a Red Sox hat for your son - used as bribery to sway your son away from the Yankees.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I Thought of This Today: Things I wish customers at restaurants understood

I Thought of This Today: Things I wish customers at restaurants understood: In today's world, with social media, there are plenty of places for those of us in food service to share their opinions.  I feel like ...

Friday, February 22, 2013

Review of Francona: The Red Sox Years

for Red Sox fans, this is a great read and gives some great insight. Unfortunately, the book meets a hurried ending and seems like its commander Queeg and the strawberries with Francona's obsession with finding out who leaked his personal business.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Catcher Was a Spy - Book Review

As a baseball and history fan, I have always known the story of Moe Berg. Nicholas Dawidoff gives a thorough look into the mysterious life of this famous catcher and spy. If you are a fan of baseball history, then this book is for you. Dawidoff puts in old parks and into the life of a brilliant scholar athlete who could never leave the game behind.
As a Bostonian, I especially enjoyed the in depth descriptions of the city and its famous stores and hotels.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

A Twitter Exchange with Indians Closer Chris Perez about Stan Musial Autographs

  1.  I love your products, but the last couple Musial "signed" cards I've seen have been below sub-par
  2.   dude, cannot wait to see your sig at 90++ 
  3.   I'm not talking about Stan himself, but the actual ones that make it into product
  4.   lol. imagine the ones they discard. I had a five star that was not that great at $400 per pack
  5.   it would be like getting a Mantle without the iconic "M"
  tough call for us to make, we believe majority will accept and treasure vs. not include

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

W.P. Kinsella The Thrill of the Grass - Book Review

If you are an avid baseball fan and long for decent baseball fiction, this collection of short stories is perfect. Crafted by W.P. Kinsella (of Shoeless Joe/Field of Dreams fame), this book gives you just the baseball fix you need in the off season or while traveling.

A Little Twitter Rapport with Gabe Kapler


  1.  I am reading the biography of Moe Berg and cannot help but see many similarities to yourself.
 Rick, I don't know much about Moe. Prob need to do some homework on him.
Reply to  
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  1.  Renaissance man like yourself.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Character is 24/7

after hearing that no one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today. check out my rant with Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy on Twitter.


38.8? Cool number. Surreal to even be having this conversation. Sad to see Murphy not in, Character should/does matter. 
 why should character matter? That's based on a public persona created by the media. Behind closed doors is always an unknown.
  character is 24/7 not a behind closed door thing.
  not when you're dealing with someone you don't know. Ridiculous dividing line when you can't be 100% certain
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 the hall charter makes character a part of the vote. it is their club and they make the rules. character is subjective (cont)
 Ripken, Clemente and  have it. Rose didn't. perhaps others do. Clemens will be there, he has it. you just know.