NL Central: Not Buying Into Cubs Hype

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Cubs and...

The Cubs were so active in the off-season that folks on the North Side dare to mention "World Series." If it happens in the Windy City, it will take place and on the South Side, not the North.

  

...this don't match!

Why the Cubs Will be the Division Disappointment: Because they'll be better, but they won't be great. Jon Lester will be an ace, Jake Arrieta will be decent, and the rest will pitch like the Cubs. I fail to see the Jason Hammel hype. Then there's Travis (Don't-call-me-Kerry) Wood. Closer Rondón never has.

            The Cubs need Kris Bryant to be ready at third because the alternatives are ugly. Second isn't looking so hot either. Castro is a fixture at short, Fowler is good in the outfield, and Soler might be. Rizzo has a big bat, but half the guys he knocked in last year were himself. The Cubs will rise or fall on youthful potential and haven't we heard that before?

So Will the Cardinals Repeat? They just might. Wainwright, Lynn, and Wacha (if healthy) are awfully good. I'm not a big John Lackey fan, but he's the best # 4 in the division. Adams, Wong, Peralta, and Matt Carpenter are a mighty fine infield, Yadier Molina is a superb catcher, and there's nothing shabby about a Holliday, Jay, and Heywood outfield. The Cards are always well coached, make judicious signings, and perpetually get mileage out of someone surprising. One worrisome spot: heart-attack closer Trevor Rosenthal.

What about the Pirates? Gerit Cole is going to be a star, but do Liriano and Burnett have anything left? Will Locke and Worley ever justify the scouting reports? Nice infield—Alvarez, Walker, Mercer, Harrison–and an even better outfield (Marte, McCutchen, Polanco). As for catching, you can start the Frankie Cervelli DL Watch any time after April 1. But he won't be the reason if the Bucs fall back. It starts and ends on the mound.

Mystery Meat: Damned if I can fathom why the Reds are so perpetually mediocre. Cueto, Bailey, and Leake have serious arms, yet the latter two manage to snooze more than cruise. Who wouldn't want a lineup with Votto, Phillips, Frazier, Bruce, Bryd, and the wing-footed Hamilton? Chapman is the only legitimate closer in the division.

Predictions;

1. Cardinals: This team leaves the hype to others and takes care of business where it matters: on the field of play.

2. Reds: If not second, last. There's just too much talent on this squad for it to be 10 games under .500 like last year. Put another way, if this team falters out the gate, Dusty Baker will be the first managerial casualty and they'll clean house in the Queen City. Neither would be a bad idea.

3. Pirates: Love the everyday lineup, but I simply don't see the pitching duplicating last year's numbers. Remember–they were only six games up in the winning column in 2014, so even a small slip could be fatal.

4. Cubs: This is what South Side hope will look like and only Jon Lester keeps the Baby Bears from once again gathering mold in the cellar.

5. Brewers: The Brew Crew isn't awful—just not good enough. If anyone can make the pitching better, catcher Jonathan Lucroy is the man. Alas, he's not Superman; the mound is Garza, Lohse, Peralta, and prayer. Ramirez at third, the inconsistent Lind at first, and nothing in-between…. Braun is not a stud without steroids.  Still, I won't be surprised if the Brewers make this prediction look bad.

Do Conservatives Have a Point about NPR Elitism?

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By the way, Zappa was a highly skilled jazz musician!

Conservatives have had National Public Radio in their budget-cutting sites since the 1980s. Their beef is really ideological–the anachronism of "liberal media" bias that hasn't been remotely true since the 1960s but is always good for votes. One charge, however, might just have some merit: that NPR is "elitist."

I couldn't help think about that assertion as I fiddled with my car radio to flee my local NPR station's latest fund drive. There was WFCR with its tin cup out again at precisely the moment that a new Nielsen poll revealed that, by stunningly large margins, jazz and classical music are the least consumed musical genres in the nation. These also happen to be just about the only music WFCR plays. The station does throw a Saturday night sop to world music–a time in which most music lovers are at concerts–and a two-hour Sunday morning slot to Latin music–a time I hasten to add that many Latinos are at mass. Can you say tokenism? Years ago WFCR dumped its folk, Appalachian, and Celtic programming. The station's music is so generic that I theorized the call letters stand for White Folks' Classical Radio. I also shifted my donations to more adventuresome NPR stations.

But mine is not an ad hominem put-down of WFCR, NPR, jazz, or classical music. I believe in National Public Radio. Among other things, it might be the last real bastion of news collecting and analysis left in the land. The Nielsen poll, though, should be a wake-up call to NPR. Jazz and classical fans–genres into which I dip occasionally, but not passionately–should be able to indulge their tastes on the radio, but the question remains one of whether the tax-paying public should help pay for it. If more time is devoted to opera than to other music the public actually likes, how does NPR dodge the charge that it's elitist?

Some stations have grasped what my local has not–that in a democratic, multicultural society one must at least pay lip service to the reality that you cannot be White Folks Classical Radio and expect the public to give a damn if you make budget or not. NPR actually has quite a lot of non-classical/non-jazz offerings: alt.Latino, All Songs Considered, First Listen, Metropolis, Microphone Check, Mountain Stage, Song Travels, The Thistle & Shamrock…. That is to say, you can find music in Spanish, adult alternative, folk, bluegrass, country, Celtic, hip-hop, hipster tunes, New Age, and world music. NPR's "Small Desk Concerts" are the best things you can find on YouTube.

Two problems persist. First, local stations often fail to carry the NPR programs noted above. Second, NPR still ghettoizes everything that's not jazz or classical. By confining most of the planet's music to the margins, NPR either inadvertently or intentionally cultivates an elitist base. It also fails in one of its core missions, and I quote:  "to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures." If you're not a classical or jazz fan, you might tune into NPR for the news or, perhaps, stumble upon a program devoted to music you like, but it's less likely to be a habit and it's exceedingly unlikely it will educate, say, a rock fan on the nuances of a classical concerto.

If NPR wishes to be relevant in the future, it could do worse than to emulate the globe's most successful public radio venture: the British Broadcasting Corporation. The BBC assembles playlists known to make elitists apoplectic. It pairs Bessie Smith and Van Morrison and thinks nothing of playing a cheesy Tom Jones song in a set with an aria, some John Coltrane, and a pop tune. Sound awful? It can be, but if you listen you can begin to hear the connections between bebop and jam bands. Or that Lady Gaga could sing opera if she wanted to. Or that the Celtic "fiddler" Alasdair Fraser is as skilled as any classical violinist.

Just to be clear, I know that NPR isn't in the same category as for-profit commercial radio. I am aware of its many public service contributions and–as noted above–it is, in my view, the single best news service in the United States. I also know it doesn't get a lot of tax money any more because of conservative castrators. But let's not kid ourselves: NPR is elitist. Asking taxpayers to pay anything for a service they don't care about is analogous to bilking them to build a sports arena for a private enterprise–something NPR fans tend to rail against. Want broader support? Give the public more reason to care. How about some Billy Taylor and some Taylor Swift?

Postscript: According to Nielsen, the public's music tastes run (from top to bottom) this way:

            1.  Rock and roll (apparently not as dead as reported!)

            2.  R & B, hip-hop, and rap (not sure these should be lumped!)

            3.  Pop

            4.  Country (probably # 1 given that so much rock and pop is actually country)

            5.  Alternative (another catchall: folk, acoustic rock, New Age, etc.)

            6.  Dance/electronica

            7.  Christian/gospel

            8.  Latin

            9.  Holiday music

            10. Classical

            11. Jazz (Taylor Swift sold half as many records in 2 months as all jazz artists combined!)

            12. Children's music (It's actually lower than jazz—but just barely)

Cosy Sheridan Pretty Bird A Work of Honest Emotion

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COSY SHERIDAN

Pretty Bird

Waterbug 0116

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For every ten parents who name their kids something inane like Sunflower or LaToya, there's a rare couple that gets it right. Count Cosy Sheridan's folks among the latter; I can think of no better way of describing Sheridan's music than by invoking her given name. As in past projects, Pretty Bird is an album that just feels comfortable and inviting. That's in part because Sheridan has never been afraid to expose her emotions or to put herself forward without pretense. Among the subthemes of this album is the pruning of a long-term relationship and the budding of a new one. Pretty Bird is also typical in that Sheridan mixes things up. The title track, for instance, has decided Appalachian influences, while a song such as "Welcome to Boston" is lounge jazz snarky. And if that doesn't span enough turf for you, check out "Rise Out of the Water," her take on the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere. Sheridan's albums also have a way of lulling you to a–dare I say it?–cozy place until you hear a sharp line that snaps you to attention. What better way to describe the way that we must sometimes just endure life's disappointments than the simple, "I hold back, I drive on?" Or the poignancy of coping with regret and sorrow than "I sing I'm sorry/I sing goodbye?" I'm also rather fond of her line, "No matter where we live/We all move on." Writing such as this may score low on the epic poetry scale, but it pushes the honesty meter into the red zone. Sheridan always leaves us in a good place. "The Sandman's Ride" is the perfect way to end this taut ten-track CD–a waltz time lullaby. Rob Weir