Vedder Cup: Required Reading

Here we are kiddies. Vedder Cup Eve. It comes down to this (and 3 games later in the season). The Padres were embarrassed last year, dropping all but one game (and winning that one thanks to a 3 ball walk).

Lest you head into the most important series of the year ill prepared, here is your required reading (and viewing) on all things Vedder Cup.



First Things First:

- RJ's Fro and Avenging Jack Murphy do an excellent write-up of the origins of what has become the most heated rivalry no one knows about. This article takes us all the way back to biblical times, 1936 (sorry, little too much Book of Mormon in this house post-Tony Awards), where it all began.

Is this confluence of events a mere coincidence, something to be chalked up to happenstance? Perhaps it is nothing more than the randomness so frequently presented by our universe. History is always something that must be evaluated time and again based on the discoveries of those who demand answers and continue the search for them. Sometimes we don’t like the answers unearthed by the curious. These truths can be painful. It should be noted however, that no matter how unpalatable the truth may appear, it is not our duty to pay for the sins of our fathers.

- Then there is this blogs first post about the heated rivalry. As can often happen on lazy March days as we wait for the regular season to begin, the mind wandered to this "rivalry" that MLB had bestowed upon Seattle and San Diego.

The rivalry exist. No one knows how this fight started. Much like the Hatfield and McCoys, those of us carrying on this rivalry couldn't even tell you what we are fighting about.

But I know one thing. This rivalry needs a name.

- Then, of course, came the naming of said rivalry. Any great rivalry worth its salt has a name. The Big Game (Stanford vs Cal), Red River Shootout (Texas vs OU), and of course The Archie Wars (Betty vs Veronica). After a late night Twitter session that may or may not had been fueled by beer (spoiler alert: it was), the fans spoke, and The Vedder Cup was born.

However, for non-Pearl Jam nerds, Eddie Vedder has roots in San Diego. It was in San Diego that Eddie Vedder formed Bad Radio and it was in San Diego that Eddie Vedder was approached by Jack Irons to write songs for a three song instrumental demo for a band in Seattle, then known as Mookie Blaylock. Eddie Vedder, as the story goes, went surfing with the songs in his head, and penned the Mamasan Trilogy (Alive, Once, Footsteps).

Game One:

- In an exercise I'm not likely to repeat any time soon (read: laziness), I "nearly" live blogged Game 1 of the Vedder Cup. The Padres lost 4-1 that day. The highlight of the night: a Jack-in-the-Box shake.

8:13pm Direct quote from Mrs. Left Coast Bias, out of nowhere. "I'm getting the feeling...that a Jack in the Box shake is in my future. My immediate future."

- Geoff Young of Ducksnorts provided a far more intelligent recap of the 2011 Vedder Cup. As with most things Ducksnorts related, it is far better researched and insightful.

This marked the 13th time in 83 games the Padres had been blanked in 2011. Only one team in club history was shut out more often through the same point in the season: The inaugural 1969 team failed to score 17 times in its first 83 games en route to a franchise-record 23 shutouts.

It is good to have goals.

Onto 2012:

- On March 4th, the Vedder Cup grew up. Dan Hayes of the North County Times wrote an article, in an actual newspaper read by actual people that are not related to be by blood or marriage, about the Vedder Cup. If the rumors are true, this is one of many reasons Dan Hayes will be missed by Padres fans in the near future.

But what about the Padres and Mariners? You can't play a series to determine who has the best beverage. Coffee versus craft beer has a nice ring to it, but is that really going to cut it when you're discussing a fiercesome rivalry? No.

Are they going to play for who has better weather? No. Is that even up for debate?

How about which fan base is more bitter, according to Forbes? Yawn.

That's when we arrived at Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder with the help of some of our Twitter friends.

- The Avenger at Avenging Jack Murphy prepares all for the opening salvo of the 2012 campaign. Spring Training and what would (never) become known as "The Battle for Peoria Park."

To fully engross oneself in the narrative, is to seek understanding and ultimately education. Know your history and prepare for the 2012 Battle For The Vedder Cup.

- Padres and Pints is a VLog about the Padres that includes beer. During Spring Training, Dan Hayes was a guest to discuss, among other things, Vedder Cup. Discussion begins about 8:35 mark.


- Ray Kroc's Ghost updates us all on the latest contract deal at the Peoria Sports Complex, ensuring the Vedder Cup rivalry will be fueled for Spring Trainings to come. Leave it to the ghost of a fast food giant to take a business approach to this issue.

The Padres and their hated rivals, the Seattle Mariners [Because Bud tells us they are rivals.], announced this week that they have both signed agreements with the city of Peoria, AZ to keep their Spring Training home, the Peoria Sports Complex, the same for an additional 20 years.

- And finally, yesterday's post. This time it matters (because, well, what else do we have).

If you have some Vedder Cup reading that wasn't mentioned here, let me know and it shall be added. I also have it on good authority that before nights end we will have an official Vedder Cup logo, designed by friend of the blog Jeremy Nash


***UPDATE***
As promised, a black and white sketch of the Vedder Cup logo.