Swing, Snitch, Dish

On baseball, iBarbarism and eating well.

by Brian Howard

Last Tuesday was media day for the 12th annual Richie Ashburn Memorial Home Runs for Heart event, wherein media types were invited to take batting practice on the very same field where the Phils clinched the 2008 title. The event is held each year in anticipation of the public getting to do the same thing — take swings, shag flies — in a two-day home run derby May 20 and 21 to raise awareness of and money to fight heart disease (info on participating at startphilly.org).

Of course, the rain pushed the event inside, to the Phillies batting cages deep in the bowels of Citizens Bank Park, where the likes of WIP's Ike Reese, the Inky's Bob Ford and John Gonzalez, CBS3's Doug Kammerer (who can really rake), 6ABC's Ali Gorman (who can hit some, too), CP columnist E. James Beale and I got 10 swings each off a pitching machine. The soreness in my hands and forearms notwithstanding (it's been something like 20 years since I took a swing at a live baseball), I think the most lasting impression is that of Phillies ball girls Irena Burgos and fellow La Salle Explorer Kelli Curcio, who smoked just about every pitch they saw, boasted Spalding Guide batting form and seriously, seriously out-hit the field. 

Snitchin'

Last week we published a first-person story written by one of our contributors detailing how he had worked with police to help set up the con artist commonly known as the Hipster Grifter. We figured the story would generate a bit of interest given that it was kinda big news about a sudden Internet meme. What we were more than a little surprised by was the level of invective hurled at the author over his working with the police — or, in the parlance of many commenters, snitchin'. (The author has declined to comment further on the story, and we respect that.) Snitch is, of course, a loaded word (and an ugly one). It implies a lot, not the least of which is an aspect of treason, of turncoatism. We do, of course, realize that the "stop snitching" ethos is a huge problem in Philadelphia. We just had no idea it was so entrenched among readers of Gawker and posters on board.crewcial.org. Which is why the reaction was more than just surprising; it was unsettling. I imagine it was something like slaying your first vampire only to discover that your class is full of them. You learn something new every day.

Delish

Last week Patrick Rapa gave you the skinny on the freshest food in the city in our Fresh Issue. This week in our Drew Lazor-edited Dish, a glossy magazine insert devoted to all things local/foodie, we tell you what to do with it. Felicia D'Ambrosio brings you Restaurant Remix, an expando version of her popular feature on our Meal Ticket food blog, wherein she gets the instrux from local restaurateurs on how to make some of their most popular dishes. She's got Pub & Kitchen's brined white fish roll mops, and a dish I'm gonna try to make ASAP, Zahav's Turkish buttered hummus. Isaiah Thompson takes you on a tour of the Latin-Caribbean grub of Philly's barrio, Amy Strauss gets into the pierogie business and Aaron Stella takes you inside Woody's kitchen. Flip Dish over for Fair Food's Local Food Guide, a directory of farmers markets, farmstands, CSAs, co-ops and buying clubs, as well as restaurants, cafés and stores that buy ingredients from local farms. 

(bhoward@citypaper.net)