Archive for A GIF and a Tune

Seeing a well-constructed paper airplane soar hundreds of feet into the middle of a major sporting event elicits a childlike joy in me — maybe in you all, too, ye perusers of NotGraphs.

Seeing an entire dugout of professional baseball players lurch in excited unison: also a joyful thing (when it’s a team for which you’re rooting, anyway).

From the etherial guitar sample (The Clash’s “Straight to Hell”) to the cash register and firearm sound effects, “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. and Diplo is strangely triumphant and thoroughly enjoyable, as well.

Put them all together and you have this:

(GIF via MLB on Tumblr)

Some may say that the ball that fell between Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina in last night’s game was a mishap, a gaff, a whoopsydaisy. However, that’s only if you look at in the way time and gravity intended. If you shift your perspective by turning upside down or walking backwards or something — I’m not quite sure how the science works yet — then you’ll see that said play was revelatory, beautiful even. In this way, the ball is not falling to the ground to the disappointment of those surrounding it. It is being pulled to the heavens, having found the favor of the Lord. As the final stanza of the accompanying music implies:

Rise again, yea, thou wilt rise again,
My heart, in the twinkling of an eye!
What thou hast fought for
Shall lead thee to God!

Watch with intent while listening to a selection from the final movement of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “The Resurrection.”

Watch:

Listen:

(original GIF via @CorkGaines)

1) Start with a blown strike three call. Add a demonstrative umpire for good measure.

2) Mix in some chin-music-inspired pre-fight-antics involving Torii Hunter.

ToriiChant

3) Have the home-team’s rookie pitcher strike out the best hitter in baseball on his fastest fastball of the year.

SonnyChant

I was up on the dance floor, trying my best not to make a fool of myself. I was having a good time, though I wasn’t really connecting with anyone. All  the guys seemed interested in other girls. Then, for some reason, my eyes moved down to the back of club, and I saw you. You were dressed a little plainly — grey pants, black shirt, black hat. You had an impressive upper body.

A group moved in front of you and I lost sight. I waited until the song was done, and made my way to the bar. You came up behind me.

“Buy you a drink?” you asked.

I noticed that you didn’t actually have a huge upper body, but were wearing a chest protector, which I thought was weird.

“I’m CB,” you said. “I couldn’t help but notice you up there. You looked great.”

‘Thanks. I should get back. My friends are still up there.”

“You can stay a few minutes, can’t you? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try to talk to the prettiest girl in the place.”

Four hours later, we were still talking as the bar closed. I never did make it back to the dance floor.

(tremendous GIF credit goes to probably-real-person Bill Baer).

The Milwaukee Brewers are having a bad year. According to my father, they, depending on the day, fall somewhere between “terrible” and “at least better than the Cubs.” Their division looks to be competitive for a while, they have very few minor-league prospects, and their best player is a no-good lying cheater.

One of the few bright spots of Brewers baseball this year has come in the form of Carlos Gomez. He’s swinging the bat better than he ever has this year, and, of course, is still providing stellar defense. Gomez has 20 HRs this year, but I almost think he should be credited with five more, considering he stole them from opposing hitters. Since there is no song called Jumping in Center Field, I improvised with the toe-tapping tones of Count Basie and his Orchestra with Jumping at the Woodside. My apologies to those with slow Internet connections.

Watch:

Listen:

This has been a GIF and a Tune.

(h/t to Brewers announcer and NotGraphs reader Joe Block for the video links)

A’s pitcher Sonny Gray was four years old when The Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album, so I’m not sure if Gray is privy to the philosophy of the 36 Chambers or not. Be that as it may, it certainly seems he’s channeling ODB (a.k.a. Dirty, a.k.a. Dirt McGirt, a.k.a. Big Baby Jesus) — may he rest in peace. Proof:

1. Gray himself does a fairly impressive shimmy off the mound to field the ball.
2. As Gray fields this ball barehanded, he hints at the notion that he “likes it raw.”

The results speak for themselves.  I will give Gray the mic so he can take it away.

Watch:

Listen:

This has been a GIF and a Tune.

With about a month left in the season, some things have already shaken out. The bad teams are bad, the good teams are good, Ron Gardenhire is still bloated. This we know. What we don’t know, fair reader, is exactly how the playoff race will shake out. These are the times when the men are separated from the boys. The winners from the posers. It’s closing time, and while you don’t have to go home, you can still stay here. That’s how the Internet works.

A page I’ve been visiting every morning for the past few days, and will most likely visit every morning until the season is over, is the MLB Postseason Probabilities page, where probabilities from Baseball Prospectus are presented in both a graphical and user-dynamic way. (Note to any FG employee that stumbles across this: I of course check the probabilities at the mother site as well.)

I was looking at the AL standings today, where nine teams are separated by as few as six games. The NL race has seven teams in contention for five spots. This should make for quite the ending to the summer. And what better way to end the summer than with the song of the summer? Presenting the AL and NL Postseason Probabilities set to the Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell)’s Blurred Lines.

Watch:

Listen:

(Note: This is technically not a GIF, since it’s length prohibits it from GIFation. Please accept my repentance for duping you.)

This past Friday, Marlins starter Jose Fernandez had himself a day. A good day, to be more exact. A very good day, to be even more exact. He fanned 14 over eight innings whilst allowing three hits and a lone walk. He was, as Talking Heads would say, burning down the house. Luckily, said house was Marlins Park, so casualties were low.

Watch (and listen):

(h/t to Jonah Keri for pointing me to the link)

The casual observer might ascertain that Will Venable used his legs and his arms to make the catch below. However, when paired with the proper song, it becomes apparent that the ball actually came to Venable, after hearing his sultry, come-hither pleas to Come Get to This.

Watch:

Listen:
Marvin Gaye – Come Get To This

The term "pimping a homerun" does not do Dan Vogelbach justice here http://t.co/VmD7wg3XkL (courtesy of a @minorleagueball commenter)

— Andrew Gill (@AndrewDGill) July 21, 2013

Watch that GIF, and listen to this:

Or, if you find Vogelbach’s saunter somewhat edged, his bat flip somewhat angry, if you thinks there’s a zephyr of suffering that carries the ball to left field, play this adaptation instead:

Is he Daniel Vogelbach? Is he Vogelbux? Is he Vogelbored? Vogelbroken? Vogelballin?

Today, maybe we decide.