The Jimmy Scott Network Expands Like A Midwestern Belly

I could have stated above that the Jimmy Scott Network is expanding like a Northeastern belly, or a Western belly, or Southeastern or Southwestern or, simply, a Fat Guy's belly.  I could have done that.  But I didn't.  I'll let the psychologists out there figure out my fascination for the Midwestern belly.  Which isn't a fascination really at all.  I've just seen some big ones.  Seen some big ones in the Northeast, West, Southeast and Soutwest too.  Yet I didn't hightlight theirs.  Call me irreverant.  Call me irresponsible.  Just don't call me Ted.  I don't know any Teds.  And if I did, they would most probably not want anything to do with me. 

By the way, not all Midwestern bellies expand.  Ask your local scientist for details.

I've had loads of contact with other bloggers and websites lately and wanted to fill you in (or fill you up, because of the fat belly theme I started today, ha friggin' ha) on the people who are supporting Jimmy Scott (me) in all things Jimmy.  Read below, do some clicking, then come back here for more:

RAISE THE JOLLY ROGER

This site is a blog written by a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, Brian McElhinny.  Loads of information about his favorite team.  Links and lots of facts about the team that hasn't had a winning season since 1992.  I take partial blame, since I'm 27 and 11 against them lifetime (and now with 3 saves!)

Mondesi's House

Great site.  Here's some background on the site and my old friend, Raul Mondesi that we'd all forgotten: 

I was inspired by Raul Mondesi, an outfielder who the Pirates signed for the 2004 season. He would play just 26 games in a Pirate uniform, due to one of the most incredible/ridiculous stories one will ever hear from an athlete.

Just a month into the 2004 campaign, Mondesi told the Pirates that he was the victim of an extortion plot by former hitting instructor Mario Guerrero and that his family in the Dominican Republic was in danger, claiming that he would have to leave and may never play baseball again.

The Pirates allowed Mondesi to return home during the season but quickly grew tired/skeptical of his story and ultimately released him a week later. With his life fully in order, Mondesi signed a contract a mere 10 days later with Anaheim, a deal that was quickly investigated by Major League Baseball due to the questionable circumstances.

Shortly after he signed with the Angels, he tore his quad (karma?) and was placed on the DL. He was released by the Angels in July of '04 for not showing up for his rehab therapy.

Atlanta arrogantly signed Mondesi as a reclamation project in 2005 and proved once and for all that he was at the end of the line, appearing in just 41 games and producing 4 HR that season.

From a comedic point of view, I considered it the most ingenious maneuver ever as far as getting out from under a McClatchy/Nutting-Era Pirate contract. And considering I started the site in the midst of some of the worst Pirate baseball ever seen, I thought it would serve as the backdrop for the site's style, meshing serious Pittsburgh sports talk with a heavy dose of comedy and sarcasm. And FYI, Raul Mondesi is in no way affiliated with the site.

Two Red Sox blogs:

THE MIGHTY QUINN MEDIA MACHINE

This site is described as "A Boston Red Sox fan in New York City writing about baseball and the world around him."  Pretty good description.  Commentary about the Sox and an especially interesting link to the Mighty Quinn's 50 Things About Me.  Might be a good excercise for those of us (not I, of course) looking for ways to write about themselves.  I have no problems writing about myself.  It's fun.  You should try writing about me too.  Guaranteed you'll enjoy yourself.  GUARANTEED!

CLAY BUCHHOLZ LOVES LAPTOPS

Great name.  The point of this site is "To find a place where Peter Abraham, Max Kellerman, Was Watching, Youtube, Seth McFarlane, and the Skipper from Gilligan's Island intersect, and make it my own."  I'm a big fan of Gilligan's Island.  Me, I'm a MaryAnn guy.  Ginger is the one-night stand, groupie kind of chick.  You could settle down with MaryAnn, have great sex twice a month, have some lovely children, and grow old.  And the whole time, I'd be reading updates of the world on Clay Buchholz Loves Laptops.

Here are some Philadelphia Phillies sites:

CRASHBURN ALLEY

Here's what this site's all about, written by creator (of the site, not the world) Bill Baer: "

Crashburn Alley is a play off of Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park, named after “Whitey,” one of the most beloved Philadelphia athletes ever. Ashburn Alley details the long history of the Phillies franchise, highlighting the high points and turning its head at the low points.

I think “Crashburn Alley,” if you think of the phrase “crash and burn,” is a perfect pun because “crash and burn” has been exactly what the Phillies organization has done throughout its history.

Crashburn Alley came to life on August 9, 2007 and it has been a fun ride since. Hopefully, this is only the beginning!"

PHILLIES FLOW

Written by Erik (with a K, not a C or a CK) Grissom (no relation to Marquis), Phillies Flow goes in depth into each Philadelphia baseball win or loss.  Passionate and opinionated.  Just like me.  Go there.

PHILSVILLE

Patrick Berkery is the author of Philsville, which is part of the PhillyBurbs.com network.  I asked Patrick what he wanted me to say about him here.  And his response is thus:  "If you want to blog about Phils-ville, you can post that my bosses are kind enough to let a non-beat writer edit, write and maintain the Phillies blog here. My qualifications: I'm a Phils junkie and I have that has never had an interest in hanging around a locker to get a couple of boilerplate quotes."
 

I'd love to see a Phils junkie go through withdrawl.  Methinks there'd be a need for very large buckets.

Just a baseball site, but still a good one:

BLUE COLLAR BASEBALL

This site is written by Deaner.  One name.  Like Gilligan.  But Deaner has a purpose.  Here's what it is, in his words: "The aim of this blog is to put a spotlight on players and teams that play the game the "right way" and respect the traditions of the game of baseball. I like guys and hustle and give 100% day in and day out. I also realize that many players are great people and will attempt to give due respect for their humanitarian efforts off the field."

Read about Deaner's views on Instant Replay.  He doesn't like it.

There you go.  Lots of reading and bookmarking for you to do.  Enjoy yourselves.  And when you go to these sites, tell 'em Jimmy sent ya.