Tampa Rays wear fedoras, ride train to Boston

[dhermann1]

I wish I could find a better link for this story, but it tickled me so much that it'll just have to make do. The Tampa Rays (that's baseball, for you Brits, etc.) have been having lots of fun on their various road trips this summer. They went from New York to Boston today via a special 3 car charter train, in honor of the old 1950's and earlier ball teams, and their manager, Joe Maddon suggested they wear fedoras, as well. It was the first train trip ever for a lot of them. Me likee.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/base...yle-casey-kotchman-grossed-out-by-gum/1185166

 

[Mr Vim]

I wish there were photos, I'd like to see that.

 

[Feraud]

Then Madden had to ruin it with this comment, "It'll be fun walking in there, and if guys want to 'pimp' it up and wear the suit with the hat, I'm cool with that." :eusa_doh:

 

[Gingerella72]

Wonder if the hats are "real" fedoras or if they're the Justin Timberlake wanna-be hats sold at box stores....the latter would account for the "pimp" comment.

 

[skyvue]

Here's another brief story on it.

 

[The Good]

I notice there's a mention of "1950s style fedoras" in the article. Are there any pictures of them wearing the hats? They're probably going to be stingy brims at least, but most likely wool felts or those plaid ones. I think this is cool that they're doing a throwback thing, but Maddon could have put it better than saying "pimp it up." But that's just a modern way of saying something's cool, I guess. I get "pimp hat" sometimes too, but I'm no longer offended by it. "Pimp" means cool, today.

 

[skyvue]

Another story, this time with one picture.

 

[Lefty]

Then Madden had to ruin it with this comment, "It'll be fun walking in there, and if guys want to 'pimp' it up and wear the suit with the hat, I'm cool with that." :eusa_doh:

not inaccurate

 

[Mr Vim]

They don't look too bad, maybe wool?

 

[dhermann1]

B.J. could look a whole lot worse.
I must say, though, that I'm just as pleased (if not even MORE pleased) that they're travelling by train.

 

[Edward]

I find it hard to get my head around the notion that some of those boys had never been on a train before. I know large swathes of the US just don't go in for public transport, but still, this boggles my mind!

 

[Tomasso]

I find it hard to get my head around the notion that some of those boys had never been on a train before. I know large swathes of the US just don't go in for public transport, but still, this boggles my mind!

If you ever tried to use our rail system you'd realize rather quickly why Americans prefer to take to the skies.

 

[dnjan]

If you ever tried to use our rail system you'd realize rather quickly why Americans prefer to take to the skies.

Exactly! Two days, Chicago to Seattle. At least there used to be two departure times ...

 

[David Conwill]

I find it hard to get my head around the notion that some of those boys had never been on a train before. I know large swathes of the US just don't go in for public transport, but still, this boggles my mind!

I have ridden the train exactly once: Grand Rapids, MI to Chicago; in 1987. It was a birthday present when I turned five. I recently looked into taking rail from Michigan to Utah and was astounded - it was not much cheaper than flying.

Nevertheless, I blame American disinvestment in rail (starting in the '20s), rather than any inherent problems with the mode of travel itself. I hope the situation continues to improve, and I'm glad to see the Rays putting rail in the spotlight a little bit.

Anyone know why they're paying tribute to the 1955 Dodgers? Just because there were no '55 Rays?

-Dave

 

[Edward]

I'm sure long-distance the time factor has a lot to do with it. I took an overnight train in China from Beijing to Xi'An, but when it came to travelling back up from Hong Kong to Beijing my travelling companion and I did baulk at the idea of a 25 hour train journey and elected to fly instead.... heh. One day, though..... China has stunning countryside. Hereat home, I take the train by preference providing I'm staying within Britain (though I would now also use the Chunnel whenever practical for Europe) - so much more pleasant and less hassle than flying. I don't mind flying itself, it's all the wasting time sitting around, to and from airports three days' taxi ride away from the towns they are supposedly in (seriously, Heathrow is practically in France), and, worst of all, the idiotic level of extra security hassles of recent years. Course, the train ride to Glasgow or Edinburgh from London might sound long compared to a flight, but door to door it actually works out about the same, and with a much less stressed Marlowe at the other end!

 

[dnjan]

Yes, I enjoy train travel when in Europe.
In the U.S. however, it is a different story.
High-speed over here is averaging over 100km/hr, and is rare west of the Missippi.
Last train trip I took here (Seattle to Portland Oregon) took longer than it would have to drive.

Tracks are almost always shared with freight trains, which seem to have the priority.

 

[Tomasso]

. I recently looked into taking rail from Michigan to Utah and was astounded - it was not much cheaper than flying.

On many routes it's actually more expensive ..........And, if you add a sleeper it jumps to more than first class airfare. Still, I try to take a train trip (with sleeper ) every couple years or so; at least on one way/leg of the trip.

 

[David Conwill]

On many routes it's actually more expensive ..........And, if you add a sleeper it jumps to more than first class airfare. Still, I try to take a train trip (with sleeper ) every couple years or so; at least on one way/leg of the trip.

It may have been. I checked at different times, and wasn't sure. I hate to make overstatements.

And freight does have priority on most lines - after all, it's the revenue-generating traffic.

-Dave

 

[sheeplady]

Yeah, a lot of areas in the US no longer have passenger train service. My parents have a trestle near them that used to do a daily run during the summer, weekly during the fall and winter up into the northcountry, with stops every 5-10 miles in the little towns. That went out in the 1960s. Now it does have a scenic service (no stops) and still carries supplies to a military installation. If not for the military installation, it would have been torn up. The other two sets of tracks into that area were.

I like the train, but unfortunately it doesn't go everyplace. And I don't like having to rent a car to do the last part of my journey because the train doesn't go there anymore, even though it is a decent sized town or city.

 

[dhermann1]

The point about how all the hassle of flying adds a lot to travel time is very true. There's a certain distance range, maybe under 500 miles, where train can save you time. And it is SOOOmuch more pleasant (when things go well).
The reason the Rays are honoring the '55 Dodgers is because Don Zimmer, one of the most senior old geezers in the ganme, is now an advisor with the team. Among other things, he was bench coach for the Yankees during their championship run from 1996 to 2000, and he managed the Red Sox (an earned the nick name "The Gerbil" from one of his disgruntled players). But his playing career goes way back to the old Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955.