The 5 Things You Need To Know About This Year's Kentucky Derby
Saturday will be all about cocktails, fashion and you named your racehorse what?
Come for the fashion, stay for the horse racing (it’s only two minutes). After all that 2020 has thrown at us, everyone needs an excuse to dress up, don a hat and have a cocktail, even if it’s at home.
Raise your glasses to a good time,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The 146th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place at the Churchill Downs Racetrack on Saturday, September 5 at 6:50 EST. The race is often referred to as the “most exciting two minutes in sports” because that’s how long it takes for the horses to run the 1¼ mile track. The winner after those quick two minutes, receives a garland of over 400 red roses, a tradition since 1932. TIME YOUR BATHROOM TRIP RIGHT OR YOU’LL MISS THE WHOLE RACE
2. Like so many sports, for the first time ever the Derby will be run without fans. Louisville, where the Derby takes place, is bracing for an estimated loss of $400 million in tourism dollars.
3. Ever wonder how they name the racehorses? There are a whole slew of rules set forth by the Jockey Club to abide by when naming a horse. Of course, nothing racy is approved but names like Hoochiecoochiemama, Bodacious Tatas and Hardawn (say it aloud) have slipped past the reviewers. WE’D PAY TO HEAR ANNOUNCERS READ THOSE NAMES ON TV
4. We’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss the hats. The long-standing tradition started with a goal to have high-class spectators attend the race. The Derby hat as we know it, didn’t come around until the 1960s when fashion norms loosened up and big, bright and festive were socially acceptable. We highly suggest you try this tradition at home. THE BEST CELEBRITY DERBY HATS
5. Don't think we'd leave you hanging without a go to cocktail for your party. The mint julep is the traditional drink of the Derby with over 120,000 mint juleps are served during a fan-attended Derby weekend at Churchill Downs. But don’t worry the traditional drink is easy to make at home. HERE’S HOW
Major League Baseball 101
“Strike” up a conversation
ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT BASEBALL? WE HAVE THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF YOUR MLB (MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL) QUERIES.
PLEASE GIVE ME THE BASICS SO I KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WHEN I WATCH A GAME.
There are three outs per inning in a nine-inning game. Should the game be tied at the end of nine innings, the game will go into extra innings.
The visiting team is always listed first on the scoreboard and they also hit first. (Think: letting your guests go first).
Four balls equal a walk and three strikes equal a strikeout. The number of balls a batter has is always listed first on the scoreboard with strikes second. (Balls-strikes)
HOW LONG IS THE MLB BASEBALL SEASON?
Normally the MLB season is the longest regular season in professional sports with 162 games. Baseball is only major professional sport to start and finish the season in the same calendar year. Due to COVID, the 2020 season will only be 60 games.
What are some changes for the 2020 season?
A universal designated hitter (DH). Previously only the American League had a DH and the National League did not. Now both leagues will use a DH. A DH is a player who hits in place for another player, typically the pitcher. Pitchers spend so much time honing their craft that they don’t spend as much time practicing hitting the ball as other players, hence the DH. This change is only temporary.
This is an off-season rule change for 2020 that will remain. Relievers (pitchers) who enter the game must face at least three batters or finish an inning before being removed (with exceptions for injury or illness). Before, pitchers could come in for one batter and then leave the game. That took a really long time. Enter in this new rule.
Another rule they’re trying on for size this season is for extra innings. Instead of starting from scratch each time a team comes up to bat in extra innings, the inning will begin with a runner on second base.
Here are more details if you need them.
WHAT ARE THE AMERICAN AND NATIONAL LEAGUE?
MLB is divided into two leagues – NL (National League) and AL (American League). What’s the difference? With the exception of this year, in the NL pitchers bat for themselves. In the AL, pitchers don’t hit. They have a designated hitter (a player who only hits, doesn’t play a field position) to hit for them.
WHAT DOES THE PHRASE "CAN OF CORN" MEAN?
Can of corn is a phrase used to describe a high pop up ball that's easy to catch. It doesn't require a lot of effort from the defensive player. Now why is it called that? The story says it's because in the grocery stores corn was on the top shelf (thanks to alphabetizing the veggies). Therefore when someone needed a can of corn the grocer would knock it down and catch it with ease.
WHY DO THE BROADCASTERS REFER TO NUMBERS WHEN TALKING ABOUT A DEFENSIVE PLAY?
There are nine players on defense (out in the field). Each position has a name but is also referred to as number, 1-9. While watching baseball, you may here of a 4-6-3 defensive play. That means the ball went to the second baseman, to the shortstop to the first baseman for a double play. Here's a deeper dive into the name and number breakdown.
WHERE IS THE 2020 ALL-STAR GAME?
Due to the shortened 2020 season, there will be no all-star game.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT LETTER “K’S” I SEE ON THE BROADCAST AND WHY ARE SOME OF THEM BACKWARDS?
Strikeouts are measured by “K’s” on the game broadcast and throughout stadium. A forward-facing K means the player struck out swinging (and missed). A backwards K means strikeout looking (i.e. they didn’t swing and were called out by the umpire). Photo.
HOW DOES THE LEAGUE KEEP TEAMS COMPETITIVE AND THE SEASON INTERESTING YEAR AFTER YEAR?
MLB does not have a salary cap like other professional leagues. Instead MLB has a Competitive Balance Tax or “luxury tax.” Once a team’s annual player payroll hits a certain number (this year it’s $208 million), they are taxed. The tax was put in place so big market teams (think: New York Yankees) wouldn’t sign all of the best players, leaving the small market teams at a competitive disadvantage. Where does the tax money go? Find out more here.
WHAT IS A GRAND SLAM?
Yes, a grand slam is a meal at Denny’s but in baseball it’s when there are runners on all three bases (first, second and third) and the batter hits a home run which equals four runs scored.
BASEBALL PLAYERS ARE CALLED THE BOYS OF SUMMER, BUT WHY?
Baseball is the only sport that spans the entire summer.
WHAT’S AN INTENTIONAL WALK?
An intentional walk is when a pitcher intentionally throws four balls outside the strike zone to walk a hitter. (It’s a strategy thing). To help speed up games a new rule was implemented that allows teams to signal for the walk and not waste time on throwing the four the pitches.
WHAT IS INTERLEAGUE PLAY?
Interleague Play refers to special occasion where the American League and National League play each other. Normally the teams only play within their respective league. The league of the home team determines whether a designated hitter is used or not.
THIS IS ALL GREAT BUT I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW TO DIVE INTO THE BASEBALL CONVERSATION.
Don’t worry, we have you covered. Check out our Office Guide to Baseball Small Talk.
The Perfect Shot - Behind The Scenes Of “Jump Shot” The Movie
Need an excuse for dinner and a movie? This new Steph Curry produced film is it.
Executive producer Steph Curry
We have the best excuse for dinner and a movie since “Netflix and chill.” Here’s the next movie that you need to add to your list and the dinner recipes to complete a perfect night in.
*Pours a giant glass of wine and settles onto the couch,*
The Last Night’s Game Team
"Jump Shot" is an award-winning film that celebrates the true story of Kenny Sailors. Sailors is a forgotten basketball legend who changed the game of basketball as we know it by introducing the jump shot. But he was so much more than an NBA (National Basketball Association) pioneer. He revolutionized the sport for women, served as a U.S. marine in WWII and then faded into history.
We were lucky enough to catch an advance screening of the film. (Spoiler alert – you’ll laugh out loud and you’ll cry – it’s that good). We caught up with director Jacob Hamilton who proudly shared his labor of love that is “Jump Shot.” Here’s what we learned from our chat. Check out this week’s podcast for the full interview.
1. This movie has unbelievable star power. From interviews with executive producer Steph Curry to Kevin Durant to the hot-headed hall of fame basketball head coach himself Bobby Knight (who is hilarious by the way). It’s the who’s who of the sports world coming together to celebrate the OG legend, Kenny Sailors. Sailors is not yet in the hall of fame, but hopefully after hearing these hall of famers and future hall of famers talk about him, it creates a movement to give him the honor he deserves.
2. Hamilton had the idea for the film in 2011 after listening to a two-minute audio clip of Sailors talking about how he developed the jump shot because he was shorter than his brother. Going over him that was the only way Sailors could make a shot. It took Hamilton and his team, which included an archival producer to dig up nearly 90-year-old audio clips and 600+ archival assets (videos, etc), until 2019 when the final film premiered at SXSW. One factor of Sailors’ life that isn’t included? Interviews with his teammates from a Senior Olympics 3-on-3 basketball tournament that Sailors played in at the age of 87. There just wasn’t enough supporting video footage to include it.
3. After watching this movie, you’ll wish you could have adopted Sailors as your grandpa. He was a humble guy who loved a good dad joke as much as he loved his family. He felt his service to his country in WWII was one of the most important pieces of his storied life. But most of all he loved having breakfast with Hamilton when he would visit. Hamilton tells a story of when Sailors was watching March Madness with a friend and the friend asked who Sailors had in his final four (bracket). Sailors said “god, husband, father and Marine.”
4. Sailors played in the NBA before it was cool. It’s true, the league was subpar to college basketball with teams folding and other professional leagues disbanding. While playing in the NBA, Sailors, who was one of the most popular players in the league, landed an endorsement deal for…prune juice. As Kevin Durant put it in the film, “It must have been the Gatorade of the time.”
5. The movie is a love story intertwined with a story about a man who continues to reinvent himself. Kenny Sailors might have been the greatest basketball player in his time but he left two weeks after his team won the college basketball national championship to fight in WWII. He left behind his wife and child, not knowing if he’d return. He came back and proceeded to set records in the NBA. After his career, he retired to Alaska with his family because of his wife’s health. But he wasn’t done evolving yet. He became a hunting guide all the while changing the sport of women’s basketball as well. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of this story. We could go on for days.
The film is out for limited release on April 16 – 18. Here’s how to you can watch.
Dinner is served
Since “Jump Shot” is executive produced by Steph Curry, here are a few of our favorite recipes from his wife, chef and restaurateur, Ayesha Curry, to try on your night in. YUM
Make sure to tag us on Instagram @lastnightsgame and @jumpshotmovie in your pics from your dinner and a movie night.
The late, great Kenny Sailors