1979 Red Sox Yearbook Dennis Eckersley

Words cannot describe my feelings for Dennis Eckersley. He was the coolest member of the Red Sox staff when I was a kid with that high leg kick and the fact he was a true Ace. Then he slogged around a resurfaced as one of the best closers in the history of the game with the Oakland A's. This was back before we knew about steroids, so that A's team with Canseco and McGwire was just too cool for words.

Fast forward to a few years ago, when Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy needed some time off to battle cancer and here's Eckersley, he (and others) filled in for Jerry and now Eck is a regular in the booth. He went from being scared to read the promotional ads to a really good analyst. He has his own lexicon of words like "high cheese" and "just a pair of shoes" but beyond that he is truly interesting and engaging. Big fan here.

The Red Sox and Yankees are playing in London today, of all places. 

North Carolina Matchbook

In case you didn't know, North Carolina is a US state. Apparently they felt they needed a little advertising at some point because that's what this matchbook advertises. North Carolina, Variety Vacationland. 

North Carolina Travel, Raleigh, NC

Pete's Wicked Bohemian Pilsner

"Hoppy Golden Bohemian Style Pilsner"

The more of these 1990s beer labels I post, the more I'm certain that most of the breweries don't exist any more. Pete's Wicked is a good example. It was one of the first beers in the craft brewing "craze" and got bought out and then eventually died on the vine, discontinued in like 2011.

St Sixtus Belgium Abbey Ale

Brewed and bottled by St Bernardus Bry Trappistenweg,Watou, Belgium

I had a bunch of Trappist Ale in the 90s, this was one of my favorites.

Jimmy Carter in Bangor, Maine

My mother and I went to see President Jimmy Carter speak at the Bangor Auditorium in Bangor, Maine on February 18, 1978. Here are a couple of blurry pictures taken (I think) with an old Kodak Instamatic camera.

President Jimmy Carter Bangor Auditorium

Spanish Peaks Peaches and Cream

Apparently the dog's name is Chug.
I wish I remembered how this stuff tasted, it must have been meh because just the thought of a "Peach Flavored Cream Ale" seems like it should have been memorable.

Billy Bragg Back to Basics Insert Art

Here, hold this trouble light.

I wish someone would pay me to do art.

I hope this is available in South Africa now, it's a great CD, two of Billy Bragg's first albums combined. Love this guy's music.

1988 Topps Big Card #79 Willie McGee

I loved Willie McGee and he was a great player and one of the rare non-power hitters of that era who could change the momentum of a game. He got clutch hits and could run the bases. Given that everyone he was playing against was on steroids, he maybe should be a Hall of Famer. I believe he won a couple of batting titles. He played for the Red Sox for a year or two, I was glad they picked him up. 

The best thing about him though was his facial expression, he always looked like he'd just smelled something bad.  

Dog Days Golden Ale

There was a brewery that used the art of Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman and I think it had the word Dog in either the name of the beer or the brand, and when I was looking through beer label scans for something to post I grabbed this one thinking it was one the Steadman labels. But now looking at it I don't think that's correct.

This is Dog Days Golden Ale from Aspen, Colorado and it looks like the picture of the dog is signed Pascarella. I've googled that name and there is an artist named Pascarella but his work doesn't look like this. 

Ohhhhhhh! and then I read the label and see this was brewed for the Flying Dog Brew Pub in Aspen, which IS the name I remembered for the beer company that used Ralph Steadman art on its labels. Ok phew.

Other Ephemera- this beer!

LOVE this stuff. Long Trail Green Blaze IPA!

Strong and tart but not tooo tart.

Some TRUE Ephemera- Last night's wine

I know ephemera is supposed to be paper things that aren't intended to last, but the spirit of the word involves anything fleeting. Actually I don't know that any of that is true and I'm too lazy to go look it up. 

Anyway, speaking of fleeting- this wine. It was a $35 dollar bottle on sale for $15 and it did not last long in my house! 

We had a crazy month in May so I couldn't blog but I'm back now!