Foxygen, Musical Ambassadors

Earlier this year, Foxygen, the two-piece band from California released their fourth album, ...And Star Power, to generally positive reviews. To be honest, I have not listened to the album enough. I tried it a few times and liked what I heard, but I would not say it was an extraordinarily lasting experience. Again: there was nothing wrong with it, but it did not immediately stand out for me. Listening to it, however, reminded me that their previous album was absolutely incredible.

Released in 2013, the obnoxiously-titled We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic is nine tracks that sound like they were lifted out of the previous century. Many reviews state the comparisons between this album and early Velvet Underground albums, statements which are totally valid. At times, singer, Sam France, carries some of the guttural tones reminiscent of Lou Reed with elements of the avant-garde. The Velvet Underground are often cited as one of the most historically influential bands in music, and the results are pleasantly apparent here. I had to continually remind myself that Foxygen was from California, not the New York scene that tends to produce Velvet facsimiles.

There are hints of sixties pop and rock music all over this album, not just from the Velvets. Some songs sound like Beatles; I hear bits of Fleetwood here and there. There has been obvious care to preserve the sounds of classic equipment, for example, in the instrumental track “Bowling Trophies” which serves as the midway point in the album. Even the enigmatic cover looks like something that you could unearth at a used record shop. I hesitate to use the word, “retro,” a meaningless word that has been so bastardized that it is now a smug fashion statement, but the album is truly an honorable evocation of classic pop.

That said, the title of the album may be more accurate than I thought (although still just as troublesome to say aloud). As France howls on the titular track, they are the 21st century. Perhaps their roles as ambassadors is to connect modern music with pop music of the sixties. Not to say we necessarily need more homage to classic pop, but it is welcome when done correctly. Many artists may attempt this link to earlier musical roots, but Foxygen does it quite neatly here.

The positives of this album are not limited only to its resemblance to music of decades past. That makes it seem that this album is unoriginal: not so. Beyond its influences, the album is simply a joy to listen to. Fairly short, it packs a lot into 35 minutes, feeling longer and more full. The sultry “Oh Yeah” is counterpointed by poppy love songs like “San Francisco.” The single, “No Destruction,” is one you can put on repeat. The final three songs create a sort of cerebral trilogy that could function as an EP by themselves. In short, the album is a fine-tuned collection of songs, reverent to decades-old music, but easily enjoyable by today’s listeners.

The production on the music is amazing as well. Throughout the tracks, it is easy to forget that this is a two-man band. Naturally, invaluable backing musicians are impossible to discredit, but the work is mostly done by France and Jonathan Rado. The songs sound full while retaining a sharp, clear tone. From backing strings to electric organs, there is a lot of music to unpack.

Foxygen’s newest album will probably continue to grow on me; in the meantime, Peace & Magic proves a near-perfect example of a classic pop revival. Whether you are a fan of rock music from yesterday or yesteryear, this release will be a pleasure to experience.

On Alan Wake

Anytime Steam rolls out one of its amazing sales on video games, like many people, I browse through and pick up way more than I need. And why not? If you can pick up a title for an incredible 90% off, you would be crazy not to buy it, right? Well, I know I’m not the only one who does this. Spending habits notwithstanding, one such game that I found at this price level was the collection of action/horror games featuring fictional writer, Alan Wake.

I did not know much about the game other than seeing some generally positive reviews upon its original release. The story seemed interesting, and the gameplay sounded different enough to be intriguing. So, when it flicked across my screen (for less than three dollars), I decided to pick it up. It didn’t hurt that I was reading some Stephen King at the time and had recently finished the stunning TV series Twin Peaks. This game seemed like a personal can’t-miss.

At any rate, I bought it, and like so many games from sales, put it away for a later time. That time came one winter night when I decided to install it and sit down with it for an experience. I did it correctly: I waited until it was dark outside, put on headphones, and took it in. I was in for a disappointing time. I played through the first of six episodes at a mind-numbingly slow pace. The enemies were annoying; controls were frustrating. There was a story there, but it was hidden behind too many discouraging battles. I finished the episode and went to bed feeling that I had bought a dud. At least I wasn’t out much.

Several months later, I decided to give it another shot. I had never uninstalled it, because I knew I would never go back to it if I had. And since it was the week before Halloween, and since I am a living stereotype, I thought I would try the survival horror game one more time. I opened it up and--at the risk of sounding like a “casual”--turned the difficulty down from ‘Normal’ to ‘Easy.’ That was exactly what the game needed. Now, I understand the desire to challenge yourself and play through a game on the hardest difficulty. Finishing something like Halo on ‘Legendary’ feels great; but Bioshock or The Last of Us on ‘Normal’ feels just as good. That’s because for a game driven by an engaging story, sometimes minimizing the gameplay is necessary to get to it.

This should not, however, excuse the gameplay. The game makes some innovative choices involving using light as a weapon, but at time even just a few of the simplest enemies were more annoying than they were worth. I did not feel a sense of accomplishment moving from location to location. Instead, I just felt relief that one more part of action was over. This is all too harsh, though. Lowering the difficulty was enough to make it manageable, and I even began to appreciate some of the light-as-weapon mechanics. As you progress, there are even some simple puzzles that need to be solved using various lights to combat the darkness.

But again, this is not a game you play for the action; you play it for the story. It absolutely lived up to the Stephen King-in-Twin Peaks level of anticipation I had pre-determined. The action revolves around the titular Alan Wake, a mystery writer who visits the quaint, mountain town of Bright Falls in order to clear his head and do some writing. The setting of the game is just gorgeous. Even on my four-year-old PC, the sun setting over the mountains looked incredible and added to the sheer scope of the game. But of course, disaster strikes. Wake’s wife is kidnapped, and the town is not as it appeared. To reclaim his wife, Wake must deal with the terrors of the town as well as his own enveloping madness. All of this sounds like clichéd horror--and it is--but it actually does work well during the hours you spend in this world. It is not all psychological fear, though. There are some well-placed moments that jump out at you, especially in a dark room with headphones on.

The episodic qualities of the campaign do wonders for the storytelling. Each episode is essentially a self-contained series of scenes that ended with cliffhangers, making it feel like an intense serial story. By the end, I was interested enough to play through the supplementary bonus episodes which I rarely do. While maybe not quite as good as the aforementioned Bioshock or The Last of Us, the story is certainly worth seeing. I was invested in the lead character, and the setting provided the perfect foil to Twin Peaks. 

As I played through the story over the course of a week, I was actually not surprised by how much I was enjoying it. It was the enjoyment I had originally expected when I purchased it. The first time I tried playing must have just been an anomaly. So, if you have some spare time and care about video games with something interesting to tell, Alan Wake is a good one to start with. Turn the lights out, put on headphones, and enjoy the vacation to Bright Falls.

On LeBron James

I have absolutely nothing to add to this discussion that has not already been said. But I think this just speaks to the fascination of this story: every single sports outlet has covered this to such an extent that every conceivable facet has basically been mentioned. From owner Dan Gilbert’s flight to Miami investigated by Internet sleuths to LeBron’s hairline (or lack thereof), everyone--not just NBA fans or even sports fans--has a bizarre interest in this story. So, while I have nothing new to say, I just think it bears reminding just how big this saga has been. In a sports world dominated by unbelievable happenings, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility to call this the biggest sports story of the decade.

Everyone already knows the facts. Arguably the best active player in professional basketball follows the trail of money to South Beach, Florida, leaving his home city of Cleveland behind. In a heinous series of decisions that came across as tremendously arrogant, James went from being well-liked to a character of pure villainy to Ohio and most of the surrounding region. When things got tired in Florida, he picked up and announced he was returning home four years later, and sentiments of vitriol turned immediately to bliss. As highly reductive as possible, that is basically what happened. But like I said, you do not have to follow basketball at all to have been aware of this.

When it was becoming more and more apparent that LeBron was returning to Cleveland, my friend and I discussed the moves over breakfast. We tried to come up with some accurate analogy to describe the events, and it is honestly impossible without delving into the world of fiction. Comparing this to another situation in sports simply cannot be done. My friend offered the suggestion of Brett Favre. A face of the organization (check) leaving a city who adored him (check) to play for a rival team after a series of terrible choices (check). This is a good example, but it does not come close to the scale of James. For the state of Wisconsin, it’s easy to forgive Favre when you inherit a top-tier replacement quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and win a Super Bowl three seasons after Favre’s departure. When LeBron left, he took with him all hope from the Cavaliers organization.

Another viable comparison is Albert Pujols leaving the St. Louis Cardinals to join the Los Angeles Angels. Another similar story, franchise player and one of the best hitters in the league sees more money available in another town and leaves a successful team behind to a general sense of resentment. But like the Packers, did not stay down for long, replacing Pujols with Carlos Beltran and returning to the postseason the following year and the World Series the year after that. By no means were the Cardinals left in disaster. After five straight seasons in the playoffs, the hapless Cleveland Cavaliers managed a .311 win percentage without James.

The disaster in Cleveland was not limited to just basketball; the city was nearly riotous. Gone was the probability that Cleveland would receive a major sports championship since 1964. James jerseys were infamously burned. Dan Gilbert made some extremely regrettable comments, which childishly claimed that Cleveland would be more successful in LeBron’s absence. Even if someone in Ohio in 2011 did not follow basketball, they certainly felt the effects.

As much damage as he did in leaving the city, coming back had the exact opposite effect. When James finally did announce his return, the response was incredible. All of the media coverage was so positive--his apologetic letter and patching up with Gilbert--that it looked like he did everything right. I predicted it would not take long for Cavs fans to forgive and forget, but it happened much quicker than anyone expected. The joy in the city was palpable in every video shown of people cheering and crying and hugging in the streets. Watching season tickets sales sell out immediately. Even the “Wine and Gold” scrimmage attracted 17,000 screaming visitors, after four years of the arena barely filling 80% capacity. LeBron means so much more to this region than just basketball.

As the 2014-2015 NBA season is dawning later this month, many people say that LeBron is the only story they really care about this year. The sense of goodwill towards the man, the team, and the city is totally overwhelming. Even as an outsider, I find myself rooting for Cleveland sports, as long as they are not across Lake Erie in Detroit. The fact that LeBron did not shock the world and opt to play for the Pistons notwithstanding, I could not be more pleased with his return to the Cavaliers. With one move, he undid a lot of the mess he caused. Along with everyone else, I will eagerly watch him play what will probably be his final years in Cleveland. Let a new era of the King begin.

The Ideal Smash Mouth Setlist

When I was 10, the biggest band in the world (or at least my life) was Smash Mouth. I, like so many other ten-year-olds, saw Shrek, and judging from the ultra-catchy singles (“I’m A Believer” and the ubiquitous “All Star”) Smash Mouth was the coolest band ever. I was stunned to find that “I’m A Believer” was a cover and immediately disregarded the original, without even listening to it. I went out to buy Astro Lounge and when I found it sold out, picked up their self-titled third album instead¹, which inevitably became my 2001 album of the year. Promptly, I did my music report in 5th grade band class on Smash Mouth. It was established: Smash Mouth would be my favorite band forever.

Fast forward ten years. I went to college, probably having not listened to Smash Mouth since junior high. I thought those days were over. Then, I accidentally hear them again. It was probably All Star; like I said, that song is everywhere. This led to me listening to [then all existing] five of their albums in a row, a conversation with a friend, and a misguided Myspace message to the guitarist. I began to feel badly because no one was taking Smash Mouth seriously anymore. It sparked something in me that was tongue-in-cheek at first and then something I had to do. I had to create an ultimate live setlist, a perfect night with the band.

I set about putting together songs in the optimum order. Believe me: this is not the first iteration of this listing. I have rearranged this several times until I was happy with it². Every song has been carefully considered and has a reason for being there. I included the right mix of hits and deep cuts--as well as some fan service to me with some of my favorites. Think of this as a reunion tour set, two hours of the best of Smash Mouth. My goal was for this to be played at a party and really get people thinking. I’m not sure that ever happened, but all the same, I am nothing but proud of the final product.

Let me set the figurative stage, as it were: we are in an eclectic outdoor venue just outside of San Jose. The ocean is only a block away. Rain has been threatening all day, but the skies have cleared in the last few hours. There is a gorgeous sun setting red over the beach. There is no opening act; it’s all about Smash Mouth this evening. The lineup is the four original members. Steve Harwell is singing. The late Kevin Coleman (RIP) is on drums. Paul De Lisle has the bass. Greg Camp is playing guitar. I imagine some great Fush Yu Mang-era banter from the band. The band is supposed to take the stage at 9:00, but it’s now about quarter after. Just when the tension could be no higher, a dull roar rises from the front of the crowd. Steve walks on-stage to thunderous applause and wipes a few tears from his eyes. The rest of the band fills in behind him. This is it, the moment thousands of people have been waiting for. The band is in place; fans are going crazy; and they launch into:

“Holiday in My Head” I’m a big fan of bands opening with tracks that are also opening album tracks. And this one establishes what everyone already knows. Smash Mouth is the biggest summer band of the decade. Everyone is smiling. The band is having fun, and the audience is, of course, responding.

“Everyday Superhero” Within ten minutes, everyone in the audience knows this will be a fun show. By the time the chorus hits, everyone is fist pumping to the sky in pure excitement.

“Hang On” This flows directly from the last song, continuing the good feelings. Although it is from a lesser-known album, people still groove to the music.

“The In Set” As Steve banters a bit with the crowd and the rest of the band, stagehands drag out an elaborate mixing station. This is followed shortly by a sound technician wearing a black T-shirt and a backwards ballcap. Adjusting levels and turning knobs, the pre-recorded intro fuzzes into the venue. The band takes off on this little known number from their self-titled. Fans dance wildly, and there is an extra loud cheer at the words, “It’s no secret this is our big show!”

“Magic” As the chants continue, rapper, J. Dash walks on stage with a second microphone. Some fans are knowingly aware of what’s coming. To promote their newest album, Smash heads into the first and only single. More recent fans for whom Magic is influential gold, sing along to every word, even Dash’s rap.

“So Insane” Here it is only five songs into the set and a group of fans have formed a mosh pit near the front of the stage. It’s about par for the course with this song. Steve knows it, and much to the chagrin of security, encourages a fan on stage, typifying the art of being “so insane.”

“Then the Morning Comes” Possibly the group’s next-most famous song. One that everyone can surely sing along with. And they do. Blue lights dance across the screens at the back of the stage.

“Diggin’ Your Scene” Smash closes out this mini, two-song Astro Lounge jaunt with what is probably the best song on the album. As opposed to the previous song, this is clearly for the fans who have been with them since the beginning. The dirty guitars and explosive drums have everyone jumping. Some people are puzzling through the enigmatic, yet existential “Tell me why we’re all gluttons for pain.”

“Sister Psychic” (I’ll admit that this song is fan service for me. But do listen to it.) Some of the older fans can’t believe it. What a weird addition to an already great setlist. While it weeds out some of the bandwagon fans, everyone respects the song.

“You Are My Number One” Even though Get the Picture? is Smash Mouth’s sixth best album, they still need to play a few songs from the album for the sake of inclusion. But as good as the show has been so far, fans are more than willing to put up with it. And honestly, a mediocre Smash Mouth song is never really bad.

“Walkin’ on the Sun” The opening bars of this song elicit the biggest cheer as of yet. They have waited ten songs to play something from their first album. And what a number it is. One of the biggest hits of their career, they show off a bit, taking some wild, but effective departures from the studio version. This includes some banter and a lot of clapping, all over the emblematic bass line.

“Story of My Life” Still marketing the unfortunately under-published and underrated album, Summer Girl, the band works through this lead single. People respect the song, of course, but it is situated between two staples, to say the least. The reaction is middling compared to the preceding and proceeding numbers.

“All Star” Their most famous song off their most quintessential album. Some fans who thought they would never see it live are crying, and everyone--everyone--is singing along with every word.

“Stoned” By this point, the edgier fans remembering their hardcore days are thrilled. A deep cut from Astro Lounge, the stage is bathed in a purple glow and the venue is instantly a bit more relaxed.

“Pacific Coast Party” Once again, the band re-engages the party mode after the last laidback few minutes. People eat it up.

“Hot” Maybe you remember this fittingly-titled song from a Hot Wheels commercial? Either way, fans seem to love it. It appears another mosh pit has developed just off the right side of the stage.

“Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” This cover exemplifies the sultry side of Smash Mouth. Too cool to be sleazy, the band looks on as thousands of young women swoon under their appeal. In fact, this is probably wherein lies the bridge between Smash Mouth and the Beach Boys. Listen close around 1:30, if you don’t believe me.

“The Fonz” If you haven’t heard this song, seriously go listen to it. It rocks pretty hard. And the rest of the crowd knows it.

“Come On, Come On” Quite the dance-y hit. Everywhere you look, folks are air-drumming and yelling and jumping. Truly “another day in the sun / I’m having fun.”

“She Turns Me On” It’s clear now that Smash is just unleashing a frenzy of rocking songs, clearly gearing up these last half dozen for the finale. Nothing but thousands of people jumping and waving fists during this song.

“Flippin’ Out” J. Dash emerges for one more song. Taking center stage, just next to Steve, Dash spits a blistering rap. Younger fans love it, while old fans see the new age of Smash Mouth and nod appreciatively.

“I Just Wanna See” A song about youth. Fans who have been around since Astro Lounge light up and sing along, still remembering every word to the chorus. As the song ends, Kevin and Paul politely stand and wave to the crowd, who is riled up from this rendition. They exit to the left of the stage, and the lights dim to a soft red. Spotlights focus in on two stools that stagehands have swiftly brought out. Steve and Greg settle into the stools.

“Right Side, Wrong Bed” This is the best song Greg Camp has ever written, and subsequently, the reason I tried to send him a message on Myspace. For this version, it’s just Steve and Greg on stage. Greg has a neat acoustic guitar, and he looks reverently at Steve, who croons the words. The song fades out, and both men rise and wave, tears in their eyes. The applause is deafening. They walk off stage to chants: “Steve! Steve! Steve! Greg! Greg! Greg!” The lights dim completely.

Encore

“Why Can’t We Be Friends” After four full minutes, lights slowly fade up again. Cheers mount to a dull roar. The band re-takes their positions. Words cannot describe the emotions during the pseudo-ska intro. Quickly, they whirl into the fast-paced song about peace and love. The audience could not be happier.

“I’m A Believer” I know what you are thinking--another cover?! That’s right, but these are the two covers that they are most known for, and they get the already exhausted crowd dancing and singing along.

“Road Man” Everywhere, fans in the crowd are turning and looking at each other. They can’t believe it! A classic call-and-response, guaranteed to send people home happy. The crowd joins arms and begins to sway together as one. The band takes advantage of this song and jams for ten minutes, showcasing their respective talents. Some people hold back tears, but most are just overcome with joy. As the lights come back up, fans storm out to the parking lot, all abuzz, talking about the display they have just seen. As cars start to drive out, you point out a true fan, windows down, blaring The East Bay Sessions. You make eye contact with this person and nod knowingly, to which he smiles and nods back. What a magical night.

*     *     *

Of course, this evening exists only in my imagination. But, doesn’t it just sound like a dream come true?

Now, almost fifteen years later, my musical tastes have shifted slightly. I would say my tastes are now much broader. I mean, Smash Mouth still channel that “summer fun” spirit of the early Beach Boys³. Alas, they did not remain my favorite band all these years later. And that’s okay. Obviously, I’d be more concerned if my tastes didn’t change from when I was ten. But I still listen to Smash Mouth once in a while, if only to remember my childhood⁴.

Some people obsess over their favorite bands and create new tracklistings of albums or unreleased tracks, claiming that listening to them in a different order is integral to understanding. I think that’s great. That’s essentially what I did with this setlist, which I have worked and reworked a couple times now. I suggest putting these songs in this order on your iTunes and listening through (only pausing for the encore, of course). You will find they are special. It really kicks a weekend off well. Maybe one day I’ll sit down and add some fake crowd sounds to my setlist. But probably not because that would sound like garbage.

And to the band: thanks, guys, and keep the summer party alive.

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1 I found Astro Lounge soon after. The trouble was finding Fush Yu Mang. Because of that pesky parental advisory sticker, I had to get it from a seedy pawnshop when I was 14.^↩
2 It was also updated at the release of the newest album, which came out when this was still a work in progress.^↩
3 In fact, why did they cover the Monkees and not the Beach Boys? I have a theory that Smash Mouth was right with the Beach Boys until 1967. Pet Sounds was the jumping off point for them; after that, they were just too experimental.^↩
4 Can you believe the band is over twenty years old now? They seem to never age.^↩

Challenging the Game

The game of baseball has changed. This cannot be more obvious or overstated. Now it seems that, for every other player, the third baseman is playing behind second base¹. Batters are fundamentally changing their swings; pitchers altering their windups. Some of these changes are purely situational as players adapt to the countless hours of film they have watched in preparation for the game. These changes are teams improving themselves, employing miniscule touches to gain advantages. Science creeps ever further into the sport. The most drastic change, however, is not about using strategy to better play the game. Instead, it is an attempt to manipulate plays that have just occurred. By far, the most blatant change is actually a brand new rule: the addition of the instant replay.

If you don’t follow baseball closely or just don’t fully understand the new rule (like me), here is a brief overview. It is a bit hard to follow. Like in football, each manager can use one challenge per game and earn another if the first is successful. These challenges can be used on a variety of plays. The types of plays are primarily (nearly 75%) close plays on the basepaths--whether or not a runner beat a throw or slid under a tag. After the seventh inning, managers lose their ability to challenge, and umpires decide if a play is able to be reviewed. Reviewable plays are watched by an official team of umpires in New York, in a situation probably not unlike NASA headquarters in Apollo 13. A call is then confirmed or, following “indisputable evidence,” overturned.

At the All-Star break, there had been 723 challenges, 599 of which were called by teams, the other 124 brought about by umpires. Of these seven hundred challenges, an astounding 48% were overturned. But I think the more important question--and the one that is harder to answer--how many of these challenges directly affected the outcome of the game?

Certainly, there are some plays that need to be reviewed. Major League Baseball has considered this; home runs are automatically inspected. But I have seen plays in the first inning, where a runner is thrown out trying to potentially steal second base. A year ago, would a manager consider taking the field to yell about such a call and prolong the inning? Probably not. I completely understand the logic that ‘every out counts in a baseball game’ and that runs can be scored with two outs, just as easily as they can be scored with none. But at what point does it seem overzealous to challenge a call so early in the game?

In an age when baseball seems to be slipping in popularity compared to other major sports, a constant complaint is that the game takes too long. Of the major sports, it is the only one that does not have a clock. Games probably average around three hours. But sometimes they finish 45 minutes early or hang on an hour late. People posit all kinds of fixes ranging from ridiculous to weird (two outs instead of three, seven innings instead of nine, etc.) All of these changes would definitely shorten playtime but at the cost of sacrificing integral parts of the game. But instead of making an effort to quicken the game, instant replay adds valuable time where, to an observer’s point of view, nothing is really happening. 

Originally intended to be 60-90 seconds long, some replays last as long as four minutes. Meanwhile, announcers have to invent new remarks to make about the same play they have already watched several times without commenting on the obviously long wait time. Unless the play decides a run scored, fans quickly lose interest after seeing the play themselves a few times. Not to mention the toll it takes on the players, notably the pitcher. After being constantly involved in the game, players are suddenly taken out of the moment. After particularly inane breaks, pitchers are allowed to continue throwing to keep themselves warm. Causing such a delay almost seems like an elaborate form of ‘icing the kicker.’

Furthermore, at the risk of sounding like a baseball purist, the instant replay takes away from the authority of the umpires. Before video evidence, umpires were the ultimate deciders of the outcome, for better or for worse. Managers could leave the comforts of their dugouts to get in the face of an umpire after a controversial call (an event which hardly ever takes place anymore), but by doing so, they’d be stepping out of their realm and into that of the umpire. I would love to see how former Braves manager and recent Hall-of-Fame inductee, Bobby Cox would behave under these new rules². Now, the higher powers in New York watching every tape have the superiority. Every time a call is overturned, it highlights the imperfections of close judgement calls, imperfections which were always a classic part of the game. Sure, calls were missed from time to time. But these calls went in both directions. In a sport with, arguably, the most number of statistics determined by close plays, it was comforting that the umpires were right there, getting most calls correct. Now we have to rely on precise, but faceless analysts in New York.

I’m sure baseball could use some modernization. And I’m sure instant replay is a step in the right direction. I just don’t think this move is totally right. Perhaps the situation could be remedied to specifying when a manager could use their right (for instance, if a play directly results in a run). The instant replay is just too noticeable of a break that jars the pace of the game to a halt. It’s disrupting for the announcers, the players, and the fans. I hope someone who knows how to fix it agrees.

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1 Relatively new in baseball, or at least more common, is shifting the infield on a batter. It involves making one side of the infield vulnerable by putting most of the fielders on the other side. Formerly done by certain teams only to the most prominent hitters who pulled the ball nearly every time to the right or left side, now just about every team seems to use this strategy. It all comes down to watching video and looking at statistics. I find this to be a fascinating and positive change for baseball.^↩
2 Cox holds the record for most ejections from a game. With the new rules, this will probably be his record forever.^↩