Game Seven.

Baseball is still the best. Having a for-sure final game of the year renders me absolutely melancholy. A baseball season is such a constant companion

Starting with the countdown to pitchers & catchers. Then that first Spring Training game on the radio. Taking off work for an Opening Day party.

The grind of fantasy baseball. Daily box scores and the roller coaster of thrilling wins and all-too-long losing streaks.

Meaningless All-Star Game voting. The rush of the trading deadline. Magic numbers. September callups.

And then the sudden realization of how weird it looks to see long shadows in the middle of the afternoon watching a game on TV in late September.

And October baseball feels like a different sport altogether. Players in hoodies. Seeing pitchers' breath on the mound. That weird MLB on FOX ambient sound...

...from Valentine's day to Halloween, baseball doesn't leave you.

 Tomorrow another countdown begins.

REVIEW: Colony House - When I Was Younger

COLONY HOUSE - When I Was Younger (Descendant Records)

Count this reviewer among the skeptics. The Chapman boys have a band? Sure they do... You mean the same guys who were touring with their dad--on stage--as teenagers? The ones who were thrown onto a VeggieTales soundtrack some ten years ago? Of course they have a band.

But then they did something unexpected. They took it slowly. Honed their craft. They hit the road. They built a social media following (over 30K on Facebook). They methodically released a faithful stream of EPs--never biting off more than they could chew--each one sounding a bit more "like them" than the last. By the time they changed their name and released their first EP as Colony House earlier this year, they had accomplished something quite profound. They had created an appetite and an anticipation for a debut release--literally years in the making--that not a lot of bands have the luxury of doing.

Several songs (literally half the album) had been released (or leaked) in recent months. But to now sit down and finally ingest the collection as a whole--each track sitting in its own assigned seat, complimenting the one before and the one after--reveals what I've long now suspected about these guys as artists. I'll admit my expectations were sky high. And like a great meal at a fine establishment, When I Was Younger hits the spot. In all the right spots.

It's not too early to call this a masterpiece. Let alone debut albums, this is the best album--period--that I've heard all year (and maybe in years). A fellow listener put it best: "It sounds like a fourth or fifth album from an established, veteran band." It will be impossible here to overstate the blend of lyrical depth, musical maturity, and artistic tact. The instrumentation almost always elevates the lyric, and that is a rare find indeed in modern music. Each song is extremely comfortable in its own skin. Not one cut feels forced or like filler. Everything fits, but every song is distinct in personality.

A colleague asked me the other day what my favorite CH song was. It stopped me in my tracks. This is so unlike me. I have a favorite of everything. But it had never even occurred to me to pick a favorite off this record. And I realized it was because I couldn't begin to. Nor do I need to. I love "2:20" for its rowdy, surf-rock sensiblity. I'm still partial to "Keep On Keeping On" for its ability to take a cliche, and turn it into a profound, motivating rock song. "Roll With The Punches" will scratch your retro itch. "Moving Forward" would fit nicely on any of Coldplay's last three albums, and reaches incredible anthemic heights. What a profound declaration. And the underrated "Glorious" is among the most practical and unique takes on heaven ever captured in music.

WIWY is marked by layer after layer of production and nuance, all the while avoiding overkill. Thematically, it does a wonderful job of portraying the hope of the Gospel without ever once giving a sermon.

Will Chapman's never-sit-still drumming married with Caleb's singer/songwriter tunes make for a fairly unique brand of rock and roll. And the latter utilizes his falsetto as deftly as anyone you'll hear in modern music. To say it's "Keane meets Killers" is too easy. Tennessee-flavored Brit-Rock doesn't quite do it justice either. As the album ages toward its end, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that these lyrics, concepts and arrangements came from a rookie band comprised of twenty-somethings. It listens like a greatest hits of sorts, but is conceptually too airtight to be so.

WIWY ends with "Lose Control." The song's primary hook is an all-too perfect summary for this collection of music: "We can't keep fighting for a steady life, so I'll ride the wind like a feather toward home." If most of us could have only learned that truth in our early 20s, how much wasted mental energy and frustration could have been saved...

I found myself looking ahead the other day. Can't wait til these guys release the follow up. I quickly caught myself... Their debut album isn't even out yet. But that's what this band will do to you. This record was a long time in the making, and the finished product is every bit as thorough as the process must have been. If CH has the ability to equal this collection both in quality and concept with future releases, they will eventually take their rightful place among the greats. In the meantime, take a long drive and absorb this one for what it is.

***** out of 5 stars

2014 MLB All-Stars First Look

Usually get them in a little sooner than this. Let the record show I did actually cast my vote(s) before the MLB-mandated deadline though. Again--as in most years--most of these selections were pretty clear cut. Just a couple of them (like NL 2B) didn't have an obvious choice. That said, I have to feel pretty good about my work here...

NL

C - Jonathan LuCroy

1B - Paul Goldschmidt

2B - Scooter Gennett

SS - Troy Tulowitski

3B - Todd Frazier

OF - Yasiel Puig

OF - Andrew McCutchen

OF - Giancarlo Stanton

DH - Adam Laroche

SP - Clayton Kershaw

SP - Adam Wainwright

SP - Johnny Cueto
SP - Julio Teheran

SP - Josh Beckett

RP - Huston Street

RP - Francisco Rodriguez
RP - Rafael Soriano

RP - Jonathan Papelbon

AL

C - Salvador Perez

1B - Edwin Encarnacion

2B - Ian Kinsler

SS - Alexei Ramirez

3B - Josh Donaldson

OF - Nelson Cruz

OF - Mike Trout

OF - Jose Bautista

DH - Victor Martinez

SP - Masahiro Tanaka

SP - Felix Hernandez
SP - Yu Darvish
SP - Mark Buehrle
SP - Chris Sale
RP - Koji Uehara
RP - Greg Holland
RP - Fernando Rodney
RP - David Robertson

RP - Casey Janssen

2013 MLB All-Stars First Look

Not much time left to get my All-Star votes in.  I love it when there's a no-brainer at almost every spot.  Here are the obvious choices for this year's Midsummer Classic.  (Brandon Phillips gets in despite his horrific slump and Matt Carpenter's emergence.)

Nine position players a side, and nine pitchers (five starters and four relievers).



NATIONAL LEAGUE
C  -  Yadier Molina
1B - Paul Goldschmidt
2B - Brandon Phillips
SS - Troy Tulowitzki (if injured, Jean Segura)
3B - David Wright
LF - Carlos Gonzalez
CF - Carlos Gomez
RF - Carlos Beltran
DH - Michael Cuddyer
P  -  Matt Harvey
P  -  Clayton Kershaw
P  -  Jeff Locke
P  -  Patrick Corbin
P  -  Jordan Zimmerman
RP - Jason Grilli
RP - Craig Kimbrel
RP - Edward Mujica
RP - Kevin Gregg



AMERICAN LEAGUE

C  -  Joe Mauer
1B - Chris Davis
2B - Jason Kipnis
SS - J.J. Hardy
3B - Miguel Cabrera
LF - Alex Gordon
CF - Mike Trout
RF - Nelston Cruz
DH - David Ortiz
P  -  Clay Buchholz
P  -  Hisashi Iwakuma
P  -  Felix Hernandez
P  -  Chris Sale
P  -  Max Scherzer
RP - Mariano Rivera
RP - Joe Nathan
RP - Grant Balfour
RP - Casey Jannsen

2011 MLB ALL STARS

Not much time left to get my All-Star votes in. I pruned it a couple of times over the past week or so, and I'm left with the following obvious choices. It seemed like there were a lot more no-brainers this time around...


NATIONAL LEAGUE

C - Brian McCann
1B - Prince Fielder
2B - Ricky Weeks
SS - Jose Reyes
3B - Placido Polanco
OF - Ryan Braun
OF - Matt Kemp
OF - Lance Berkman

P - Jair Jurrjens
P - Roy Halladay
P - Tommy Hanson
P - Cole Hamels
P - Jhoulys Chacin
RP - Joel Hanrahan
RP - Heath Bell
RP - J.J. Putz
RP - Drew Storen


AMERICAN LEAGUE

C - Alex Avila
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Robinson Cano
SS - Asdrubal Cabrera
3B - Alex Rodriguez
OF - Jacoby Ellsbury
OF - Curtis Granderson
OF - Jose Bautista

P - Jared Weaver
P - Josh Beckett
P - Justin Verlander
P - James Shields
P - Alexi Ogando
RP - Chris Perez
RP - Jose Valverde
RP - Mariano Rivera
RP - Kyle Farnsworth

Niemi in Net

Doesn't it seem like the Huet/Niemi debate is like three years old now? I mean...Antti has so seized the goalie one spot in the past two months that it erases almost all traces of the consternation of this winter past.

And Niemi has been the best minder in every series so far. And that's hard to believe when you're talking about names like Nabokov and Luongo. He hasn't had the better game every single night necessarily, but big picture-wise he has out-minded his counterpart every step of the way.

Here's a stat for the Antti-doubters. Four GAA in playoff third periods. Total. Four! That is mind-boggling. The onslaught he survived in the final 11 minutes on Monday was the stuff of legend. Tell me he didn't look like a number one goaltender down the stretch. He made the average saves. And those spectacular. He gave no rebounds. He dazzled. His .919 SV% in the playoffs are up .07 from the regular season.

But let's not forget that he was 27-6-4 in that regular season. Why was there a netminder controversy again!?

And does Brian Campbell need to do anything else to prove his worth? Sure the 8 / 7.1 per seemed large at the time. And his offensive totals have trended downward. But his absence told you all you need to know. Look at the D now. The puck movement and overall flow have vastly transformed since his return. And Niemi has noticed too, methinks.

The City was abuzz last weekend when we were up there. I don't mind the support. Just don't wear a red 'Hawks t-shirt to a Cubs/Cardinals game. That's a no. And not to tout loyalty or anything... But I'm hoping the Eric Daze shirt I wore for the past decade renders my new Jonathan Toews jersey acceptable.

19 SUPER BOWL THINGS

-The Saints once had their own #18 QB. The following is my earliest (remembered) mental image of New Orleans Saint football: https://www.beckett.com/images/pgitems/335150201.jpg

-This game in the simplest of terms: The Colts are 16-0 when they try to win at football.

-I'd rather eat jambalaya than pork tenderloin or whatever it is.

-According to my (rather significant) sample, Colts' fans think they will roll. Then again, this is the same team that beat an 8-8 49er team at home by 4. And a 7-9 Jacksonville team at home by 2.

-Did you know that Peyton Manning's father played for the Saints? I think someone told me that once.

-The Saints actually attempted to go 16-0. And then still lost to Tampa Bay at home.

-Yes, the Colts have made it look easy in the playoffs, but in 7 games this year they had to come back from 4th quarter deficits. (None of those games were with the Saints' offense on the other sideline).

-Reggie Wayne grew up idolizing Eric Martin. I remember I had a Topps "1,000-yard receiver" card of Eric Martin, and in my mind he was so monumental.

-The Colts have beaten two 9-7 Wild Card teams at home to get to this point (a Jets team that was at one time 4-6, and the Ravens who started 6-6).

-I like it when the clear season-long two best teams meet in the Super Bowl. It hasn't happened since Colts Bears.

-The Colts are the first team to reach the Super Bowl without having to beat one division winner since the '05 Seahawks, and the first AFC representative to ever do so in the history of the NFL.

-If this comes down to the kicker...Stover is 42 years old with 1,157 career attempts. Garrett Hartley is 23, with 22 total tries (including extra points).

-The Colts still haven't played a team with fewer than six losses this season. That is hard to fathom.

-The Saints are BY FAR the best opponent on the Colts schedule this season. By a long shot.

-Since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff and started seeding both conferences 1-6 in 1990, no team in either conference had made it to the Super Bowl without beating at least one team that won 10 or more games in the regular season.

-The Saints defense is not rated very highly. Then again, they had huge leads all year. And teams dropped back and passed it all over the place late against a non-aggressive defensive approach.

-Common opponents: Five. Both teams played the Patriots and Cardinals. New Orleans beat them 38-17 and 45-14, respectively. Indy? 35-34 and 31-10.

-The lack of respect for the Saints around here is astounding. The Colts are favored and should be, but I'm shocked people don't recognize how good the Saints were this year.

-The Super Bowl Final score? 31-30.