STARTING FIVE

1. Chase Heddy (“That’s Headley!”)

On Tuesday Chase Headley woke up in Chicago, probably in a swank hotel in The Loop, ready to play a game of baseball that night in an iconic ballpark. And he did–but it would not be Wrigley Field. At about 11:30 a.m. Headley was informed that he’d been traded to the New York Yankees, so he promptly hopped a flight –most likely to LaGuardia– and suited up in pinstripes for that night’s game at Yankee Stadium.

The Yanks and Rangers battled 12 scoreless innings (not enough scoring in baseball–so boring!). Then the Rangers scored a run in the top of the 13th. Then the Yankees tied ’em in the bottom of the inning. Then, in the bottom of the 14th, Heddy (“That’s Headley!”), who entered the game around the 5th or 6th inning and was 0-for-3 batting ninth, poked a game-winning single to left-center.

True Yankee.

Headley is wearing No. 12. The only Yankee who is and who can possibly wear a lower number –the others are all retired or soon will be–is lead off hitter Brett Gardner, who wears No. 11.

2. Taylor is the New Fetching

So, I’ll confess: I haven’t seen “Orange is the New Black” because I don’t subscribe to NetFlix. And I don’t get out to many Nicholas Sparks films, so I hadn’t seen “The Lucky One.” And while, yes, she was marvelous in “Argo” as Ben Affleck’s wife, she only had one scene, the last scene. And I don’t recall if she even had a line.

So I really didn’t know much about Taylor Schilling. Last night, though, she appeared on Letterman and now I may have a crush. Funny, smart, self-effacing, lovely and utterly thrilled to be seated next to Dave. Here’s a clip that captures much of her charm (watch at :29), and then a later one. At the end I think she wanted to give Dave a hug, but then she pulled back some. Dave still gave her the coveted kiss on top of the hand, which signifies that you went over and above the call of duty as a female guest.

It’s funny. You watch her on Craig Ferguson and there’s lots of uncomfortable flirting, mostly in one direction. The interview with Dave is much less awkward.

3. Grass Half Full

That’s Notre Dame Stadium yesterday, as they install the Field Turf. I’ll reserve judgment for now, but I’ve always preferred natural to artificial turf. I’m told that the stadium will now be available for multi-purpose use, such as Tommy Shaw concerts (you’ll get that if you were a student in the spring of ’85) or perhaps a Bookstore semi-final.

The biggest visual differences, besides the texture of the grass, going forward? 1) An interlocking ND at midfield, which I like, and 2) no Alex Flanagan, which I don’t like.

4. Rom-Com Rubes

So, Grantland.com decides to do a “Rom-Com Hall of Fame”, but since it’s Grantland, which is an arm of ESPN, an entity that firmly believes that the earth did not begin to spin until 1979, their list is limited to the past 25 years…because “When Harry Met Sally” invented the rom-com, or so they say.

Which is ridiculous and myopic.

The “modern rom-com” can’t hold a candle, much less a Roman candle, much less a “Roman Holiday”, to the greatest Rom-Coms of all time. And you need not be a fossil to appreciate or know this. Sanaa Lathan? Jennifer Lopez? Colin Firth?

Gents (and Ladies), may I suggest Cary Grant? Deborah Kerr? Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy?

I’m not saying that the ONLY good Rom-Coms are the old ones. What I am saying is if you are even going to pretend to have an astute discussion on the genre, you start with the following: “It Happened One Night.” “The Thin Man.” “An Affair To Remember.” (watch that scene; notice how much is said that’s not in the dialogue) “Bringing Up Baby.” “Roman Holiday.” (Then go back and watch “An Affair To Remember” once more, because the first 10 minutes have simply the best banter in the history of Rom-Coms).

I don’t mind that the average Grantland reader doesn’t know this. I do mind that Grantland, which purports to edify the masses, chooses not to know this. Harrumph-ity do!

5. Tour de France Update

I’m in a rush this a.m. so I’m just going to leave this spot blank and depend on MH’s most loyal reader to fill in below in the Comments section with today’s update on the Tour de France. 🙂

Reserves

Summer is the season for pranks in New York City. You’ll recall that the Human Fly, George Willig, who scaled the World Trade Center, and Philippe Petit, who tight-roped across it, did so in the summer time. So over night Monday, some one(s) scaled the Brooklyn Bridge and replaced the American flags with white flags.

I did like the New York Post headline: “HIPSTERS SURRENDER.”

The police are still searching for the pranksters, while I phone my 23 year-old friend A.J. and innocently ask him what he was doing in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday morning.

Where in the World?

Yesterday: Yunnan Mountains, China