SNL Recap
My reaction in the opening minutes of this week’s episode was similar to the one I usually have when a certain individual appears on stage. “Oh, FFS! Alec Baldwin? Why?” His unnecessary presence was only a small part of the reason why this was one of the weakest outings in quite some time. There is also the fact that this week was HEAVY on recurring bits. The show’s contents grew more original in the post-Update section, but it was too little too late. Charli XCX was charming, and she merits bonus points for wearing a very cool Lou Reed t-shirt in her first song, but she didn’t do much to really stand out.
The cold open shows that even though Maya Rudolph has stepped aside, we’re not gonna be rid of Dana Carvey that easily. The sketch focused on the Trump/Biden transfer of power meeting, with introductions of two members of the Cabinet Of Horrors. Sarah portrayed Matt Gaetz, and the aforementioned Baldwin was RFK Jr. OK, he did a reasonable facsimile of Kennedy’s raspy growl, but enough is enough.
When XCX was booked to host, it came with visions of a sketch in which she would bestow the official title of Brat on Maya’s Kamala Harris. Until that is the world went horribly wrong. So, instead the Brat reference was saved for the monologue, in which she said that anyone can be Brat. As proof, none other than Kyle Mooney returned; his oddball dork persona was used to passable effect.
My pick for Top Sketch Of the Week was one of the few original concepts to be seen, the Banger Boyz podcast sketch. Andrew, Marcello, & Emil starred as a trio of bros hosting a podcast that Trump had recently appeared on. XCX was their producer, occasionally interrupting to read off the commercial promos for a litany of absurd sponsors, such as Cargo Condoms, the only condom with pockets. It perfectly parodied that particular type of guys being guys content, with the dudes demonstrating the ideal balance of irrational confidence and utter stupidity.
Otherwise, there were too many reprisals of what I would sarcastically call greatest hits. I’m in the minority; I was unimpressed by the introduction of Domingo in the Ariana Grande episode. He came back, this time with Chloe’s besties singing at her baby shower about an illicit tryst with Marcello’s Domingo, who is almost certainly the real father of the baby. That was followed by one of the more tiresome show templates; a montage of auditions for Wicked presenting a rapid fire litany of impersonations of varying quality. This format calls for so many quick bites that nothing really connects. XCX made for a solid Adele, and I suppose they thought the incongruity of some of the selections was inherently hilarious. Why would Shannon Sharpe or Fran Lebowitz possibly be auditioning for a role in Wicked? And Leslie Mann seemed awfully random.
Since it’s Thanksgiving season the show also brought back the British Baking Show sketch. It’s been done enough times that I don’t think there’s anything new to be added. Kyle stuck around for this one as well, and some of the concoctions would have made the Standards & Practices peeps from the 1970’s collapse onto their fainting couches - a turkey-shaped cake with a visible bush & another that was shaped like a chocolate dildo - but this is a bit that needs to be retired. Then, we see that Andy Samberg hasn’t left the house yet; there was a new Lonely Island digital film. He & XCX were a suburban couple snitching on people for the most minor of violations.
The “hasn’t this been done enough times?” attitude extended to Update as well. Bowen as Joe Exotic? Better was Sarah’s appearance as Hazel, the widow of Peanut the squirrel. (The Peanut story is one of those things that people will look at in the future and shake their heads in disbelief. THIS is what some folks blew a gasket over?) I’m frankly shocked that it took the show this long to cast Sarah as a nervous squirrel; her facial expressions and full body spasms were impeccable, and the piece also found time for her to smack Jost with her bushy tail.
I’ll also give a passing grade to the commercial acting class sketch. Marcello portrayed the delusional teacher, with XCX as his star pupil. The premise served as a strong showcase for his ability to play big. This piece, along with the Banger Boyz sketch, was enough for me to name Marcello as Employee Of the Week. He is in prime position to move into the show’s starring position if any of the veterans ever decide to leave.
The show will now take a couple of weeks off for Thanksgiving. The trio of pre-Christmas episodes begins on December 6 with Paul Mescal making his debut as host. Shaboozey will be the musical guest for what could be an historic week. A Bar Song has just spent its 18th week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, only 1 week behind the record holder, Old Town Road. He might be the all-time king by show night.
Ballot Breakdown - Vic Harris
The challenge with properly evaluating Negro League statistics is that because the seasons were so short, the counting stats don’t tell you very much. The rate stats are the ones to look at, and in Vic Harris’s case they are very good, but not so spectacular that they appear to be HOF worthy. He had a handful of strong seasons, led his league in runs, doubles, and triples once each and was named to 6 all star teams. That adds up to a fine career but nothing that stands out from numerous other Negro League players.
It’s his managerial career that separates him from the pack, and from what I have been able to gather he was placed on the ballot as a manager. (The Hall’s website is vague, but the Memories & Dreams magazine that the Hall sends out lists him as a manager.) He managed for 11 seasons, and won 7 pennants with a lifetime winning percentage of .663. It is the implied policy of the Hall that a person is voted on as either a manager or a player, not both. Harris’s playing career probably falls short; a better argument can be made for his induction as a manager. Or, and hear me out on this, because of the unique structure of the Negro Leagues it could be appropriate to take the entire scope of his career into account.
IMHO voters should make a concerted effort to fully acknowledge the incorporation of the Negro League database into the major league record and honor more Negro League players. So, once I put together my own hypothetical ballot I intend to include either Harris or John Donaldson; I just need to figure out which of the two is more deserving.
The New Ballot Is Out! The New Ballot Is Out!
The Hall of Fame officially released the 2025 BBWAA ballot on Monday. There isn’t much suspense over who appears on this ballot; the only question is who was the best first year player who wasn’t quite good enough to make it past the screening committee. No one in that category would have gotten more than a courtesy vote or two, but at the very least making it onto a ballot is recognition of a significant career. The best eligible player left off of the ballot would be either Carlos Gomez or Melky Cabrera. Now that voting season has begun, it’s time to ask the questions for which we will know the answers in late January.
In no particular order: Will anyone join Ichiro Suzuki on the podium, and how close will Ichiro come to being a unanimous choice? I honestly don’t care all that much about the actual percentages. The plaque for an inductee who just squeaks in at 75% is the same size as someone who gets 98% of the vote. That being said, I’d love to hear the explanation from any voter who looks at Ichiro and says “no.” This is Billy Wagner’s final year on the ballot, and last year he fell only 5 votes shy. He SHOULD get those additional votes that he needs; there have to be at least a few on the fence voters who decide that they don’t want to be the person who keeps him out, but nothing’s a sure thing until the votes are in.
The next two leading returning vote getters after Wagner are Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltran. Both are probably a little too far behind to realistically make the jump to 75% this year, but Jones has been making a slow and steady climb up in the voting, so a 2026 induction seems likely for him. This year will tell us all we need to know about Beltran’s ultimate fate. Another big increase in his totals will mean that voters are not going to punish him over the Astros’ cheating scandal. A stagnant vote total will mean that there are a significant number of voters that will continue to hold it against him, and they may be intractable.
I’m also fascinated to see what they voters will think of CC Sabathia. As recently as a dozen years ago the voters would generally make a guy with Sabathia’s credentials sweat things out through a few cycles, but the mindset of voters these days is to try to avoid drawing things out for too long. A Sabathia election in year 1 would not surprise me. I’m just as interested to see what will happen with Felix Hernandez and/or Dustin Pedroia. Both played at a HOF level, but had fairly short careers. Will either or both receive the 5% of the vote that is necessary to remain on the ballot? Could be tight.
I like the symmetry of the ballot; it contains 14 first timers & 14 returnees. So, once I complete my run through the players on the Eras Committee ballot, I will tackle this ballot with 2 names per day, 1 newbie & 1 veteran. I’m also gonna do the same thing I did last year; I’ll go through the players in the form of a countdown. I will begin that project after Thanksgiving.
50 Years Ago - Planet Waves
Planet Waves was a perfectly acceptable second tier Bob Dylan album; it certainly was not at the same level of any of his pantheon level releases, but it does include one of his all-time best songs. Moreover, after a handful of records that were sub caliber, this one offered hints that he still had a lot of greatness in him, which he proved with the album he released in 1975. Add that to the fact that on this record he was once again working with The Band, and one could call this a real return to form.
And he was certainly in need of some rejuvenating. Among his most recent albums were likes of Self Portrait and Dylan, which almost sound like parodies of Bob Dylan records. He had also been off the road for several years at this point; whether that absence caused him to lose his touch is up for debate. Reconnecting professionally with The Band proved to be fruitful; in addition to this album they went out on tour, and The Basement Tapes would finally be released the following year.
The record has a solid collection of songs; On a Night Like This is a lovely little piece, as is You Angel You. But the clear centerpiece of the album is Forever Young, which appears here in two different versions. There is an uptempo version of the song, but it is the longer, slower one, which is the real masterpiece. It has the feel of a contemplative novel; evoking the vibe of a father resting his young son on his knee as he expounds life advice and promises a hopeful future. The song is prime Dylan.
Oddly enough, Planet Waves was the very first Bob Dylan album to make it all the way to #1 on the Billboard charts. None of his 1960’s classics managed to achieve the feat. It was no fluke; Blood On the Tracks came out the following year. That one was an even bigger commercial and critical triumph.
Closing Laughs
That’s all folks, for one more day. Thanks again for your support. See you all on Friday, I will be sure to save you a seat at the table.
