Friday, July 30, 2004
just so it looks like i'm not the only one finding the dnc ridiculous, here's what the libertarians had to say about it.
i'd also like to point out that for someone who is supposedly all for the average joe, john kerry has a lot of really fucking expensive hobbies - his road bike cost $8,000, we've all seen him snowboarding, and this week in time magazine there's a picture of him kite surfing. but i'm sure that's how all factory workers spend their weekends.
i'd also like to point out that for someone who is supposedly all for the average joe, john kerry has a lot of really fucking expensive hobbies - his road bike cost $8,000, we've all seen him snowboarding, and this week in time magazine there's a picture of him kite surfing. but i'm sure that's how all factory workers spend their weekends.
let's hear it for all the kris benson hype! never have i seen teams make such a big deal about a guy who is (a) really injury prone (hasn't thrown more than 140 innings since missing all of 2001), (b) until this month had en era over 5 and holds a WHIP nearing 1.4, and (c) has comparable career numbers to corey lidle.
in his corner are the facts that scouts say he has "great stuff" (let's give this a collective who gives a rat's ass), and that he's only allowed 7 hr's this year. but really. this guy is nothing more than an adequate #3 starter. he's never played for a team where there was pressure to win, and pitching in the postseason adds a lot of innings to an arm that hasn't seen this workload since 2000.
his wife must be batting her eyes at the right GM's...
and why aren't people going after migeul batista? did the bj's say he's off limit? they should be shopping him to contenders, given that he's 33 and farely cheap. toronto has to be in rebuilding mode, with delgado leaving and all. by the time they make a run again, batista will be done.
in his corner are the facts that scouts say he has "great stuff" (let's give this a collective who gives a rat's ass), and that he's only allowed 7 hr's this year. but really. this guy is nothing more than an adequate #3 starter. he's never played for a team where there was pressure to win, and pitching in the postseason adds a lot of innings to an arm that hasn't seen this workload since 2000.
his wife must be batting her eyes at the right GM's...
and why aren't people going after migeul batista? did the bj's say he's off limit? they should be shopping him to contenders, given that he's 33 and farely cheap. toronto has to be in rebuilding mode, with delgado leaving and all. by the time they make a run again, batista will be done.
m. nite shamalamalaman's new movie comes out tonite. i think it looks good.
-dave piho memory of the day: his t-shirt of a skiing donkey that read "haulin' ass!"
-i drive past a construction crew every morning. one of the gi-normous white pick up trucks has one of those huge stickers on it's front windshield. ya know, the ones with the big white letters? well, this one says "GIT-R-DONE." that's a pretty good one, although the best one ever goes to this girl crystal who i went to high school with. hers said "CRYSTAL METH." good times.
-i know poker is hugely popular and all rite now, but does anyone else find the constant "all-in" references really annoying? seriously, i don't wanna see one more headline like "yanks go all-in for the big unit."
-weird suspensions for the yanks-sox brawl. i'm trying to look at this objectively, with no yanks bias. first off, they were all too stiff. a pitcher gets a 5 game suspension, he misses one outing. 4-game position player suspensions (which would translate to 20 game pitcher suspensions) are a little much for some pushing. also, you could argue that varitek made the first hit, so he should get the biggest suspension but i don't feel that strongly about this. worse, though, is how do trot and kapler get suspended, or at least, how can they get the same suspension as ol' tanyon?
-there's a billboard in our town that pictures a man with a baby on his lap. it says "step up. get a paternity test." seriously, who pays for this shit?
-dave piho memory of the day: his t-shirt of a skiing donkey that read "haulin' ass!"
-i drive past a construction crew every morning. one of the gi-normous white pick up trucks has one of those huge stickers on it's front windshield. ya know, the ones with the big white letters? well, this one says "GIT-R-DONE." that's a pretty good one, although the best one ever goes to this girl crystal who i went to high school with. hers said "CRYSTAL METH." good times.
-i know poker is hugely popular and all rite now, but does anyone else find the constant "all-in" references really annoying? seriously, i don't wanna see one more headline like "yanks go all-in for the big unit."
-weird suspensions for the yanks-sox brawl. i'm trying to look at this objectively, with no yanks bias. first off, they were all too stiff. a pitcher gets a 5 game suspension, he misses one outing. 4-game position player suspensions (which would translate to 20 game pitcher suspensions) are a little much for some pushing. also, you could argue that varitek made the first hit, so he should get the biggest suspension but i don't feel that strongly about this. worse, though, is how do trot and kapler get suspended, or at least, how can they get the same suspension as ol' tanyon?
-there's a billboard in our town that pictures a man with a baby on his lap. it says "step up. get a paternity test." seriously, who pays for this shit?
Thursday, July 29, 2004
before i start, prepare yourself for a (quasi) defense of michael moore.
sure, he's fat. and pretty annoying. but sometimes that can be funny.
sure, he slants his movies in a ridiculous fashion. but you know what? big fuckin deal. you know that going into his movies, so why are you mad afterwards?
sure, he's a crazy "liberal weiner". it's his right to be. but i don't see him stopping any crazy "right wing nut jobs" from making films in favor of bush. at the very least, he's getting younger people to think and talk about political matters instead of just worrying about who's got the coolest rims on mtv. we'll get to those who just talk and don't think in a second.
sure, i don't really agree with his agenda. but he's good at what he does. plain and simple. he takes ignorant fuckers and gets them to believe in his views. if there weren't such mindless folks out there, he'd be out of business. i view it sort of as, "don't hate the player, hate the game". don't blame moore. blame the "moorons" (im stealing this from a texas protestor, and never giving it back) who eat his shit up with a spoon. i think he will start losing effectiveness, tho, as more and more viewers realize his movies are hardly "documentaries."
we finally saw farhenheit 911. i thought it was okay. actually, there were a few really funny lines in it. but you have to take his wild conspiracies for what they are - speculation. did it change my view of bush? of course not. he sucks now just like he did before. but at least i got to snicker at his horrible speaking abilities a few more times. too bad they didn't have any footage of him crashing his mountain bike.
what really gets me, though, and basically the reason for this post, is that there are people out there calling him a traitor. and that's just ridiculous. a fat, annoying, sometimes funny, over-the-top liberal, conspiracy-crazed pied piper? sure. but a traitor? get real. anyone who thinks that someone with different opinions is a traitor should be sent to the isle of elba. where they can try to share ice cream with ziggy piggy napoleon (go wild stallyns!).
sure, he's fat. and pretty annoying. but sometimes that can be funny.
sure, he slants his movies in a ridiculous fashion. but you know what? big fuckin deal. you know that going into his movies, so why are you mad afterwards?
sure, he's a crazy "liberal weiner". it's his right to be. but i don't see him stopping any crazy "right wing nut jobs" from making films in favor of bush. at the very least, he's getting younger people to think and talk about political matters instead of just worrying about who's got the coolest rims on mtv. we'll get to those who just talk and don't think in a second.
sure, i don't really agree with his agenda. but he's good at what he does. plain and simple. he takes ignorant fuckers and gets them to believe in his views. if there weren't such mindless folks out there, he'd be out of business. i view it sort of as, "don't hate the player, hate the game". don't blame moore. blame the "moorons" (im stealing this from a texas protestor, and never giving it back) who eat his shit up with a spoon. i think he will start losing effectiveness, tho, as more and more viewers realize his movies are hardly "documentaries."
we finally saw farhenheit 911. i thought it was okay. actually, there were a few really funny lines in it. but you have to take his wild conspiracies for what they are - speculation. did it change my view of bush? of course not. he sucks now just like he did before. but at least i got to snicker at his horrible speaking abilities a few more times. too bad they didn't have any footage of him crashing his mountain bike.
what really gets me, though, and basically the reason for this post, is that there are people out there calling him a traitor. and that's just ridiculous. a fat, annoying, sometimes funny, over-the-top liberal, conspiracy-crazed pied piper? sure. but a traitor? get real. anyone who thinks that someone with different opinions is a traitor should be sent to the isle of elba. where they can try to share ice cream with ziggy piggy napoleon (go wild stallyns!).
im sure the picture on cnn will change very soon, but for those who missed it, the dnc had a huge poster that reads "over the top" above the stage.
how fuckin great would it be if they trotted out sly stallone as lincoln hawk, the arm wrestling trucker, fresh off wokring out on the ghetto home gym in his cab, flipping his hat backwards cuz it's "like a sparkplug," facing down the guy who chugs motor oil before matches. oh man, that would go a long way towards getting my vote.
also, how sweet is that sweatshirt sleeve sly keeps on his elbow all movie?
how fuckin great would it be if they trotted out sly stallone as lincoln hawk, the arm wrestling trucker, fresh off wokring out on the ghetto home gym in his cab, flipping his hat backwards cuz it's "like a sparkplug," facing down the guy who chugs motor oil before matches. oh man, that would go a long way towards getting my vote.
also, how sweet is that sweatshirt sleeve sly keeps on his elbow all movie?
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
why is it that anyone cares about a speech made by john kerry's wife? what do her knowledge and abilities have to do with his ability to be a president?
anyway, according to this article on cnn, "hope and an equal chance at the american dream are at stake in this election." so if kerry loses, folks, just kill yourself. because your hopes and dreams will be unattainable.
how could anyone not find this shit downright hilarious?
anyway, according to this article on cnn, "hope and an equal chance at the american dream are at stake in this election." so if kerry loses, folks, just kill yourself. because your hopes and dreams will be unattainable.
how could anyone not find this shit downright hilarious?
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
i have one question for all stores with multiple check-out lanes: is it not clear that FIFO your best option?
yeah, im talking to you, local grocery store. and you, best buy. can't you take the hint from airports or banks? when it comes to customer service, FIFO is king.
i mean, honestly, every one despises the check-out gamble at the grocery store. the only thing you can base your decision on is the number of items the people in front of you have. you can't tell that they haven't entered the modern world (hello debit card!) and still pay with a check and its required 30 minute verification process. you can't tell if they are about to dig thru their pockets and pull out 47 coupons. ugh, it's a game with such imperfect information. one which could so easily be avoided.
and fast food joints? just a complete crap shoot. you never know if you're getting behind a guy just buying a coke and a newspaper or a guy who's ordering 15 combo's cuz it's his turn to pick up lunch at the office. i suppose in their own way, these places are implementing FIFO - first in, fuck off.
so please, please, for your own sake of efficiency and mine, implement FIFO. the right one, i mean.
yeah, im talking to you, local grocery store. and you, best buy. can't you take the hint from airports or banks? when it comes to customer service, FIFO is king.
i mean, honestly, every one despises the check-out gamble at the grocery store. the only thing you can base your decision on is the number of items the people in front of you have. you can't tell that they haven't entered the modern world (hello debit card!) and still pay with a check and its required 30 minute verification process. you can't tell if they are about to dig thru their pockets and pull out 47 coupons. ugh, it's a game with such imperfect information. one which could so easily be avoided.
and fast food joints? just a complete crap shoot. you never know if you're getting behind a guy just buying a coke and a newspaper or a guy who's ordering 15 combo's cuz it's his turn to pick up lunch at the office. i suppose in their own way, these places are implementing FIFO - first in, fuck off.
so please, please, for your own sake of efficiency and mine, implement FIFO. the right one, i mean.
Monday, July 26, 2004
after a while at a job, you get used to the sounds certain people make when they walk down the hallway. like when i hear the slow swooshing of courdoroys, i know to put my head phones on (weirdo computer guy i refer to as "scragglepuss"). or how the fast paced clip-clop of sandals means i either fucked up some paperwork or it's payday (secretary).
but me? i don't think i make sound when i move. and i don't think it's just that im not self-aware (at least in this regard), because i find myself continuously straining to hear my (rusty) gait. alas, i've found on multiple occassions that im simply a sneaky walker. not unlike tuturro in mr. deeds (minus the shoe fetish). last week i made a guy nearly fall off his chair when i slealthily walked into the lab and asked him a question. and the break room is the #1 locale for my scaring the bejezus out of co-workers (cue jokes re my appearance) as they tend to the microwave.
but i swear, im not intentionally terrorizing the office. it's not like i whisper things like "hello, clarice" as i sidle up next to them. i can't help that i have an attribute common to thieves and assasins, can i?
im probably only one more scream away from being forced to wear bells on my shoes...
but me? i don't think i make sound when i move. and i don't think it's just that im not self-aware (at least in this regard), because i find myself continuously straining to hear my (rusty) gait. alas, i've found on multiple occassions that im simply a sneaky walker. not unlike tuturro in mr. deeds (minus the shoe fetish). last week i made a guy nearly fall off his chair when i slealthily walked into the lab and asked him a question. and the break room is the #1 locale for my scaring the bejezus out of co-workers (cue jokes re my appearance) as they tend to the microwave.
but i swear, im not intentionally terrorizing the office. it's not like i whisper things like "hello, clarice" as i sidle up next to them. i can't help that i have an attribute common to thieves and assasins, can i?
im probably only one more scream away from being forced to wear bells on my shoes...
Friday, July 23, 2004
goatee update: my facial hair is at a length where it constantly feels like i have cobwebs on my upper lip.
and i just ate two peanut butter & jelly sandwiches that i made on wednesday morning. now that's good eatin.
and i just ate two peanut butter & jelly sandwiches that i made on wednesday morning. now that's good eatin.
blah.
-can you imagine how anemic the twins offense would be without lew ford? he's the only regular with an OPS over .800. and it's not like they have a good staff. johan santana carries the rotation, while nathan & rincon are the only two reliable relievers. how is this team in first??
-if kerry is elected and repeals the tax "cuts", my household will lose roughly $12k over the next 4 years. don't read this as support for bush, i detest both of them alike.
-worst sportscenter team ever: mike hall & linda cohn. best sportscenter team ever: kenny mayne. all by himself.
-to register my car in ohio, i needed three trips to two locations. first, the dmv to get a temporary registration while my title was mailed from florida (needed to go to two offices to get this info). second, the emissions testing place (where they make you wait in a queue with the car running for like 30 minutes - great for the old enviro, which they're trying to save). third, back to the dmv and bouncing between the two offices again. grand total: $107.25. and im refusing to get a local driver's license because it's at a different dmv and $25 more.
-be on the look out for napoleon dynamite. it hits theaters tonite.
-can you imagine how anemic the twins offense would be without lew ford? he's the only regular with an OPS over .800. and it's not like they have a good staff. johan santana carries the rotation, while nathan & rincon are the only two reliable relievers. how is this team in first??
-if kerry is elected and repeals the tax "cuts", my household will lose roughly $12k over the next 4 years. don't read this as support for bush, i detest both of them alike.
-worst sportscenter team ever: mike hall & linda cohn. best sportscenter team ever: kenny mayne. all by himself.
-to register my car in ohio, i needed three trips to two locations. first, the dmv to get a temporary registration while my title was mailed from florida (needed to go to two offices to get this info). second, the emissions testing place (where they make you wait in a queue with the car running for like 30 minutes - great for the old enviro, which they're trying to save). third, back to the dmv and bouncing between the two offices again. grand total: $107.25. and im refusing to get a local driver's license because it's at a different dmv and $25 more.
-be on the look out for napoleon dynamite. it hits theaters tonite.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
john kerry is anti-gang. im not sure why, but i find it amusing given that he is so pro-union. now i'm not saying unions and gangs are the same, but before you dimiss this comparison, notice they have some similar characteristics:
-in a union (gang), you pay dues (go thru an initiation beating) to be a member.
-in a union (gang), you have a corner on the market for the labor in some industry (turf).
-in a union (gang), you can require all companies in your industry to hire members (all drug deals that take place on your turf must be made by members).
-in a union (gang), any member who goes against union (gang) decisions will be blacklisted (eliminated, or forced to endure an exit beating).
-in a union (gang), any non-member who tries to work in the industry will be blacklisted or worse (eliminated).
sure, in every case, gangs are more violent (though i'm rather sure there's been a lot of cases where union workers use violence). but the two do seem to operate with similar tactics. just an observation.
-in a union (gang), you pay dues (go thru an initiation beating) to be a member.
-in a union (gang), you have a corner on the market for the labor in some industry (turf).
-in a union (gang), you can require all companies in your industry to hire members (all drug deals that take place on your turf must be made by members).
-in a union (gang), any member who goes against union (gang) decisions will be blacklisted (eliminated, or forced to endure an exit beating).
-in a union (gang), any non-member who tries to work in the industry will be blacklisted or worse (eliminated).
sure, in every case, gangs are more violent (though i'm rather sure there's been a lot of cases where union workers use violence). but the two do seem to operate with similar tactics. just an observation.
the new cutting edge way of making decisions on education? letting "scientifically based research" (yes it's in quotes in the article) articulate procedures. wow. what a novel idea! how much money was spent coming up with this decision? you can be sure the department of education is patting themselves on the back with your tax money for this one. do you think bush can even pronounce science? or does he call it sky-ants?
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
check out this jeopardy-esque sports trivia thing. i thought it was pretty tough, especially since most of the questions pertained to things that happened before we were born.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
i played online poker for real money (as opposed to play money) for the first time last nite. $0.50-$1.00 limit hold em. yup, i was in there with the high rollers. played for an hour and won $36. yippee! here's to losing my title as "worst poker player i know."
so you buy tickets to see a performer, and then when they dedicate a song to someone you don't like, you trash the venue and demand your money back. then the venue throws the performer out. very weird. looks like what happens in vegas doesn't actually stay there.
i mean, when you buy tickets to a concert/game/event, aren't you assuming the risk that you might not like it? or is ticketmaster offering a new "guaranteed time of your life" clause?
i mean, when you buy tickets to a concert/game/event, aren't you assuming the risk that you might not like it? or is ticketmaster offering a new "guaranteed time of your life" clause?
Friday, July 16, 2004
reo speed wagon is playing the dayton air show tomorrow. someone alert billy madison that tickets are still available.
also, i got a trade offer today: chacon and matt holiday for a pitching upgrade. this may be the worst offer i've ever seen. about the only thing i would offer in return is jeff billings.
also, i got a trade offer today: chacon and matt holiday for a pitching upgrade. this may be the worst offer i've ever seen. about the only thing i would offer in return is jeff billings.
Toads Golf Instead of Fishing. and a sympathy shout out to mair.
-i think the parking lot at my work is home to the highest vanity plate:car ratio on the planet. i can't even fathom how ridiculous vanity plates are. the worst part is how there are a few here that just say the type of car. for example, there's this guy who owns a mercedes (maybe BMW, i dunno) SLK. there's a big SLK emblem on the trunk. and inches below that is his vanity plate: SLK BAR. yes. we get it. you own an expensive car. that or you own a slippery tavern.
-so i have this bag of goldfish in my office. you know, the little crackers. well, on the bag the goldfish are depicted as wearing sunglasses. but there ain't no sunglasses on the actual crackers. drat! i've been fooled again.
-upon learning of my enjoyment of anything steinbeck, one of you recommended east of eden. i get the impression im not supposed to mention them by name, but you know who you are. thank you. very much. what a great book. i can see why you read it twice. if grapes of wrath is anything like it, i may have to muscle up and read it.
-i hi-five the plant by the elevator at least twice a day.
-so CBS fired some actors who were demanding more money than agreed to in their contract. good for CBS. im surprised they stuck to their guns.
-i think the parking lot at my work is home to the highest vanity plate:car ratio on the planet. i can't even fathom how ridiculous vanity plates are. the worst part is how there are a few here that just say the type of car. for example, there's this guy who owns a mercedes (maybe BMW, i dunno) SLK. there's a big SLK emblem on the trunk. and inches below that is his vanity plate: SLK BAR. yes. we get it. you own an expensive car. that or you own a slippery tavern.
-so i have this bag of goldfish in my office. you know, the little crackers. well, on the bag the goldfish are depicted as wearing sunglasses. but there ain't no sunglasses on the actual crackers. drat! i've been fooled again.
-upon learning of my enjoyment of anything steinbeck, one of you recommended east of eden. i get the impression im not supposed to mention them by name, but you know who you are. thank you. very much. what a great book. i can see why you read it twice. if grapes of wrath is anything like it, i may have to muscle up and read it.
-i hi-five the plant by the elevator at least twice a day.
-so CBS fired some actors who were demanding more money than agreed to in their contract. good for CBS. im surprised they stuck to their guns.
Thursday, July 15, 2004
yesterday the sports guy compared shaq's impending comeback next year to the trip the warriors have to make to get back to CI. seriously, if you've never seen the warriors, put it in your netflix queue. at #1. and yes, i've forced more house guests to watch this flik than i can count. also, next time any of you talk to vag, tell him he still has my warriors VHS (but it's ok, i got it on dvd as a wedding present).
last week nina and i started muay thai (fancy name for kickboxing) at a local martial arts place. so far it's awesome, and i can only see it getting better as we improve. the guy who owns the place, mr. brown (all i can think of when i hear that name is resevoir dogs), is this short, super motivated, super jacked up white guy (i mention this to dispel the asian-only myth) who is so excited to see you when you walk in the door. sure, you could say some of that is cuz we're paying customers. but i think he's just a totally genuine guy who loves martial arts (he offers like 5 types) and is just really happy to be able to spend all day doing it and teaching it. so it's a great environment to learn.
and it is a hell of a workout. this is not some bally's-gym-dance-around-in-tights-while-the-instructor-with-the-britney-spears-microphone-claps-and-jumps version of kickboxing. this is a strike-your opponent-here-to-maximize-damage-now-kick-this-pad-as-hard-as-you-can type of kickboxing. even the initial stretching isn't easy, which concludes with 200 leg lifts (the first time i heard this i was all "haha good one" but then we did them for literally 3 straight minutes). you split up intense sparing with periods of jumping rope or doing pushups and crunches. there's no down time for the full hour. it rules.
the hardest part of all, though, is that i have to resist yelling "hi-ya!" when i kick the crap of the sparring pads. oh man, that is sooo hard.
we're going again tonite. im pumped. 6 hours til we hang with down town mr. brown.
and it is a hell of a workout. this is not some bally's-gym-dance-around-in-tights-while-the-instructor-with-the-britney-spears-microphone-claps-and-jumps version of kickboxing. this is a strike-your opponent-here-to-maximize-damage-now-kick-this-pad-as-hard-as-you-can type of kickboxing. even the initial stretching isn't easy, which concludes with 200 leg lifts (the first time i heard this i was all "haha good one" but then we did them for literally 3 straight minutes). you split up intense sparing with periods of jumping rope or doing pushups and crunches. there's no down time for the full hour. it rules.
the hardest part of all, though, is that i have to resist yelling "hi-ya!" when i kick the crap of the sparring pads. oh man, that is sooo hard.
we're going again tonite. im pumped. 6 hours til we hang with down town mr. brown.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
so there's been a lot of talk about ken the mormon guy thrashing every one's ass on jeopardy. but if you haven't seen him at work yet, do yourself a favor and tune in. he's just awesome to watch. not since the indian guy in van wilder have i found a little nerdy guy so entertaining (now if only kenny would ask to "dine at just one american pink taco stand"). two nites ago, he answered the first 12 questions right. all the way to the first commercial break. he cleared 2 1/2 categories like he was the only one in the studio. and he's donating some of his earnings to PBS and NPR, so that's kinda cool.
my baseball game on sunday nite was probably the craziest one i have ever played in. not in little league, middle school, high school, college, or any adult league had i been part of something like this. it was actually supposed to be a doubleheader, but due to "circumstances" in the first game, game two got postponed. check out the box score.
up until sunday, i had never been in a game:
-that lasted 5 hours, especially one that was supposed to be only 7 innings.
-where 35 runs have been scored. even in college, where there is no mercy rule, i think the highest scoring game in my 4 years had 28 runs.
-with 35 hits and 33 walks.
-with 35 runners left on base.
-in which the first 2 innings took an hour and a half.
-in which i got 7 plate appearances.
-in which a batter reached base safely in all 7 of his trips to the plate.
-in which we played infield-in at least 4 times and didn't allow a run in those situations.
-where a pitcher threw over 200 pitches. it was like we were back in the 1890's.
of all those facts, the opposing starter's pitch count is the most mind boggling. here's the poor guy's line:
IP: 9
H: 13
R: 16
ER: 13
BB: 14
K: 5
Runners on Errors: 5
first, let's see the minimum number of pitches he could've thrown given this line (i.e. all his walks were on 4 pitches, k's on 3 pitches, hits, errors, non-k outs on 1 pitch). that adds to 111. that's the minimum!!
now let's be at least moderately realistic (albeit very generous to him) and add 1 pitch per walk and strikeout, and 2 pitches per all other at bats. that brings this total to 210. 210 pitches! and given how many full counts he had, this number is rather modest. it is simply unbelievable.
it was a fun and ridiculous and totally exhausting game. and it's a damn good thing we won. i can't imagine how it'd feel to play for 5 hours and lose.
up until sunday, i had never been in a game:
-that lasted 5 hours, especially one that was supposed to be only 7 innings.
-where 35 runs have been scored. even in college, where there is no mercy rule, i think the highest scoring game in my 4 years had 28 runs.
-with 35 hits and 33 walks.
-with 35 runners left on base.
-in which the first 2 innings took an hour and a half.
-in which i got 7 plate appearances.
-in which a batter reached base safely in all 7 of his trips to the plate.
-in which we played infield-in at least 4 times and didn't allow a run in those situations.
-where a pitcher threw over 200 pitches. it was like we were back in the 1890's.
of all those facts, the opposing starter's pitch count is the most mind boggling. here's the poor guy's line:
IP: 9
H: 13
R: 16
ER: 13
BB: 14
K: 5
Runners on Errors: 5
first, let's see the minimum number of pitches he could've thrown given this line (i.e. all his walks were on 4 pitches, k's on 3 pitches, hits, errors, non-k outs on 1 pitch). that adds to 111. that's the minimum!!
now let's be at least moderately realistic (albeit very generous to him) and add 1 pitch per walk and strikeout, and 2 pitches per all other at bats. that brings this total to 210. 210 pitches! and given how many full counts he had, this number is rather modest. it is simply unbelievable.
it was a fun and ridiculous and totally exhausting game. and it's a damn good thing we won. i can't imagine how it'd feel to play for 5 hours and lose.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
oh, the all-star break. i know the players need a few days off and all that, but in general, im not a very big fan of the all-star stuff. mostly this is because i can barely stand having to deal with travel days (i.e. mondays) when there's only like 3 games going on, so when there's only 1 game happening over a 3 day span i get cranky.
i don't think i've seen more than 3 innings of an all-star game since i was in middle school. it just doesn't do it for me, i can't really say why. usually, i'll catch the first inning or two in hopes of seeing something akin to the famous big unit vs kruk matchup, or to see awesome match-up like manny vs clemens. but then i'll lose interest. and im a person who will watch the dayton dragons take on the quad city swing on channel 107, the st. paul saints play some independent league game, or wright state play the university of ohio.
the one thing i do enjoy about all this extended coverage by espn is the home run derby. what those guys do is simply awesome. this year they finally got rid of that american vs. national thing and just took the top 4 from the first round. i got a big kick out of sammy swinging and missing at his first pitch and then continuously swinging at low and away pitches like a moron, and watching tejada hit 15 in the second round was sick. my favority guy to watch, tho, is raffy. he doesn't even break a sweat. while every other guy is swinging from his ass, as hard as he can, raffy's just taking it easy. hitting 10 in the first round. it's very impressive.
the other thing i noted last nite was that lance berkman reminds me of the lemmer. similar mannerisms, facial expressions, and even swings. ahren may be smarter, and not like hunting and fishing as much, and lance may hit the ball a little further. but trust me. there are some definite similarities there. i was waiting for berkman to take off his hat and say he doesn't like anything on his head during BP. and then tell the interview girl that he likes robots.
but just like all crappy festivities at all-star things, even the home run derby took too long. two hours for this? i didn't even watch the final round. they gotta speed this up. and did you see joe morgan's orange suit? honestly, who does his wardrobe? he needs to be set up on the first celebrity queer eye for the straight guy.
what i'd really like to see is some other types of skills challenges. here's a few ideas:
-put up nets/screens (maybe 8'x8') at various locations (i.e. right behind second base, in the holes between 1st and 2nd, and 3rd and short, one each in the gaps). assign them some values and give hitters 15 swings to hit line drives into the screens. give people a chance to see guys like juan pierre perform. i would've loved to see gwynn vs. boggs in something like this.
-put a ball on a tee at various locations in the strike zone and give pitchers 10 throws to knock the balls off the tees. inspired by watching dave piho unsuccessfully try this one winter for like 2-3 hours.
-have an OF throwing contest where they throw from increasing distances into a 4'x4' net.
these are the types of things i would definitely watch. plus, since the all-star break is really hyped to be used as a way to broaden the fan base, maybe it'd pique some interest among those who don't wanna sit thru the all-star game (and you know the commercial breaks are gonna be huge during it, extending game time).
i don't think i've seen more than 3 innings of an all-star game since i was in middle school. it just doesn't do it for me, i can't really say why. usually, i'll catch the first inning or two in hopes of seeing something akin to the famous big unit vs kruk matchup, or to see awesome match-up like manny vs clemens. but then i'll lose interest. and im a person who will watch the dayton dragons take on the quad city swing on channel 107, the st. paul saints play some independent league game, or wright state play the university of ohio.
the one thing i do enjoy about all this extended coverage by espn is the home run derby. what those guys do is simply awesome. this year they finally got rid of that american vs. national thing and just took the top 4 from the first round. i got a big kick out of sammy swinging and missing at his first pitch and then continuously swinging at low and away pitches like a moron, and watching tejada hit 15 in the second round was sick. my favority guy to watch, tho, is raffy. he doesn't even break a sweat. while every other guy is swinging from his ass, as hard as he can, raffy's just taking it easy. hitting 10 in the first round. it's very impressive.
the other thing i noted last nite was that lance berkman reminds me of the lemmer. similar mannerisms, facial expressions, and even swings. ahren may be smarter, and not like hunting and fishing as much, and lance may hit the ball a little further. but trust me. there are some definite similarities there. i was waiting for berkman to take off his hat and say he doesn't like anything on his head during BP. and then tell the interview girl that he likes robots.
but just like all crappy festivities at all-star things, even the home run derby took too long. two hours for this? i didn't even watch the final round. they gotta speed this up. and did you see joe morgan's orange suit? honestly, who does his wardrobe? he needs to be set up on the first celebrity queer eye for the straight guy.
what i'd really like to see is some other types of skills challenges. here's a few ideas:
-put up nets/screens (maybe 8'x8') at various locations (i.e. right behind second base, in the holes between 1st and 2nd, and 3rd and short, one each in the gaps). assign them some values and give hitters 15 swings to hit line drives into the screens. give people a chance to see guys like juan pierre perform. i would've loved to see gwynn vs. boggs in something like this.
-put a ball on a tee at various locations in the strike zone and give pitchers 10 throws to knock the balls off the tees. inspired by watching dave piho unsuccessfully try this one winter for like 2-3 hours.
-have an OF throwing contest where they throw from increasing distances into a 4'x4' net.
these are the types of things i would definitely watch. plus, since the all-star break is really hyped to be used as a way to broaden the fan base, maybe it'd pique some interest among those who don't wanna sit thru the all-star game (and you know the commercial breaks are gonna be huge during it, extending game time).
Friday, July 09, 2004
i gotta question carlos boozer's decision to sign with utah:
first, he's moving to the western conference where (a) you can have a winning record and still not make the playoffs, and (b) he has to face better bigmen.
second, he's moving to salt lake city, the only place in america where you don't have the freedom of speech in certain public areas (this is not a joke). hope you enjoy the lifestyle out there, buddy. by the time you retire there'll probably be a state law mandating an additional 10% of your income to the government, i mean church. so you got that goin for ya.
third, and most importantly, he's passing up the chance to spend his career playing with lebron. but, hey, maybe lebron's all hype and carlos' new best friend is really the next magic johnson.
first, he's moving to the western conference where (a) you can have a winning record and still not make the playoffs, and (b) he has to face better bigmen.
second, he's moving to salt lake city, the only place in america where you don't have the freedom of speech in certain public areas (this is not a joke). hope you enjoy the lifestyle out there, buddy. by the time you retire there'll probably be a state law mandating an additional 10% of your income to the government, i mean church. so you got that goin for ya.
third, and most importantly, he's passing up the chance to spend his career playing with lebron. but, hey, maybe lebron's all hype and carlos' new best friend is really the next magic johnson.
hey ron burgundy. i'll be seein you in about 7 hours.
-this week i evolved from my archaic ways and starting doing our finances in excel. after 4 years of paper and pencil (what can i say? i'm my father's son), i guess it's time to get with the program.
-i love tangerines. i hate tangerine pits.
-albuquerque fact of the day: there are 4 snowboarding mountains within a 2 hour drive of the city. ohmygodohmygodohmygod.
-nina and i were so pumped to watch this year's WSOP on espn. they were doubling last year's coverage and all that jive. it premiered tuesday nite and had a countdown ticker on the bottom line and everything. but i gotta say the first show was pretty much a disappointment. and confusing. they said it was the no-limit hold final table, yet the winner only took home $400k, and there was no intensity at all. clearly this is not the final table that moneymaker and farha sat at last year, is it? i thought this year's winner took home like $5 mil? plus the announcer kept picking on the winner for being young and having a cool sweatsuit, and also kept talking about his own multiple relationship failures. it was painful. the 7 card stud action was more entertaining, with minh the master saying how he is so much better than his opponent (an infomercial actor), but can someone clarify on this hold em thing?
-"mister! mister! guess what my name means?"
-this week i evolved from my archaic ways and starting doing our finances in excel. after 4 years of paper and pencil (what can i say? i'm my father's son), i guess it's time to get with the program.
-i love tangerines. i hate tangerine pits.
-albuquerque fact of the day: there are 4 snowboarding mountains within a 2 hour drive of the city. ohmygodohmygodohmygod.
-nina and i were so pumped to watch this year's WSOP on espn. they were doubling last year's coverage and all that jive. it premiered tuesday nite and had a countdown ticker on the bottom line and everything. but i gotta say the first show was pretty much a disappointment. and confusing. they said it was the no-limit hold final table, yet the winner only took home $400k, and there was no intensity at all. clearly this is not the final table that moneymaker and farha sat at last year, is it? i thought this year's winner took home like $5 mil? plus the announcer kept picking on the winner for being young and having a cool sweatsuit, and also kept talking about his own multiple relationship failures. it was painful. the 7 card stud action was more entertaining, with minh the master saying how he is so much better than his opponent (an infomercial actor), but can someone clarify on this hold em thing?
-"mister! mister! guess what my name means?"
Thursday, July 08, 2004
for our third and final trip of the summer, over the july 4th weekend, we went to missoula, montana. we spent the weekend with ali & raphael, and ali's mom leslie and her husband john, at leslie and john's summer house. missoula is one of the most amazing places i've ever been. i haven't been out west in the summer since like 1998 when i visited my sister in wyoming, so i completely forgot how unbelievable it us.
we arrived friday evening and i fell in love with missoula by the time we were out of the airport parking lot. the airport there has 2 gates. and a 9 foot (stuffed) brown bear guarding the baggage claim. the town has such a wonderful small town charm, enhanced by the fact that behind every house or store are miles and miles of mountain and river. the major employer is the university of montana. "go griz!" signs are painted or hung everywhere.
leslie and john took us to a local restaurant called the depot. now, i gotta tell you, for some reason i expected the population to be rather old - mostly vacationers or marlboro men. leslie and john told us it was a young town, but i was skeptical. until dinner. 90% of the workers and patrons were under 30, and healthy, outdoors-adventure types. the depot was where i got my first taste of the big sky brewing company - i wanted a local brew so john ordered me a moose drool, which is similar in color to bass but not as dark or heavy tasting, a little sweeter even. im not kidding when i say it was probably the best beer i've ever had. so i had another. and another.
after dinner leslie drove us up some mountain road to see some amazing properties and views. everything there is just mind bogglingly beautiful. oh yeah, and it doesn't get dark in missoula until 11pm. so at 9pm on a friday, people are out on the porch drinking beer and what not, while the sun is shining. it's very surreal. then we picked up ali and raph from the airport, and headed back to the house for a nightcap out on their porch.
i didn't really know what to expect of the house and property that leslie and john own. i half expected a one room log cabin (im so naive). to get to their "neighborhood", you have to drive along a road that has the blackfoor river to your left and some mountain to your right, each just 20 yards from the road (if that). then turn left onto some gravel road and cross the river. you are now completely surrounded by trees. someways up the road, you pull into a driveway (i use this term loosely as it is just another gravel road) with a sign that says 14300 nailed to a tree. i thought this was funny, cuz at that point we'd only passed 3 houses. i guess the number 4 was taken?
as we pull up to their house (it's 10pm and the sun is just starting to set, mind you), an enormous chocolate lab named otis comes running off the porch to welcome us to this 15-acre sanctuary. otis could not have been more perfectly named. their other dog, sam, a black poodle, also comes to greet us. sam was no typical poodle, although he did prance around a bit. he doesn't have the typical poodle hairdo and all that, and since he's still a puppy sam wants to play (and jump and bound and prance) constantly.
we spent the remainder of the nite sitting on the porch enjoying the brisk mountain air and a few more moose drool. raph and i became instant friends when i noticed his kick-ass brown new balance sneakers. i have this theory that you can tell a lot about a person based on their shoes. and in my book, cool brown sneakers mean you rule. anyway, at 12:30am (2:30am for nina and i), everyone slipped off to bed. we only had 2 1/2 days there, so we wanted to make sure we didn't sleep the morning away.
we awoke early to eat a leisurely breakfast and get ready for the day's main event: white water rafting on the clark ford river. breakfast included fresh blueberry pancakes made from scratch, warm maple syrup, sunnyside up eggs, and the thickest (and least fatty) bacon i'd ever laid eyes on. and coffee. i've been on java hiatus for almost 2 months, so this in particular was heavenly. as was the whole feast. so much for not gorging before 10am.
rafting down the clark ford river was awesome. mostly class 2 and 3 rapids, so nothing too scary, but it was so fun. our guide was cool too, very laid back (no surprise there). the rafting took a few hours, and near the end of the trip you could swim cuz the water was calm. i always jump in the water when allowed on these things, but on this day i really needed to take a leak (so much coffee, not enough bladder). so i had two reasons for wanting to get in. well, it was a cool day to begin with, but then i stayed in the cold water for longer than i should have. by the time i came out, my lips were purple and my fingers were starting to tingle. naturally i refused any type of clothing upon returning to the boat. "i'm fine," i assured everyone. i think leslie was a little terrified, cuz i was shivering like a sonofabitch. ever seen that commercial where the guy using the jackhammer on his driveway goes in the house and tries to pour himself a glass of water, but spills it everywhere due to his violent shaking? that was me. thankfully, nina huddled over to share some warmth. after reaching the take-out point of the trip, i (grudgingly) put on wind pants, a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and raph's fleece on. but cmon, guys, "im fine." eventually on the bus ride home, my body temperature reached back into the 90's.
upon arriving home, we sat on the porch in the afternoon sun and had cocktails while shucking corn. john put on some country music and his cowboy hat (which is his signature look and suits him very well), and we all sat around chatting and drinking. dinner (outside on the porch at sunset, 9:30pm-ish) was ribs, chicken, salad, and corn on the cob. we got to gorge twice in one day. a true sign of vacation. leslie can sure make some mean ribs. good eatin.
the next morning, raph and john headed off for what would be 14 hours of fly fishing. while leslie took them to the fly shop and ali lay dead to the world in the down stairs windowless bedroom, nina and i got up and enjoyed coffee, some crosswords, and the complete peacefulness that accompanies morning in the mountains. did i mention that this house was 100 yards from mountains?
after some bacon and blueberries, the four of us non-fishermen and the 2 dogs took a stroll up one of the surrounding mountains. i hope one day i can walk out our front door and walk right up to a mountain. what if your property included a mountain?! geez, it was an unreal 2 hour hike.
we returned for some lunch and decided to take a trip to REI and then the local ski mountain. you have to drive up a treacherous one-lane dirt road filled with hairpin turns and unbelievable vistas to reach the base of the mountain. to our surprise, the lifts were running - for mountain bikers, who came flying down every few minutes covered in cuts and bruises. at the lodge, the last run inn, we had pizza and drinks as we waited for a call from the king fishers. the last run inn is apparently renowned for their bloody mary, and had won an award for them every year since like 1643. and although i had a trout slayer ale (another local), nina assures they didn't disappoint.
at this point everyone was getting sleepy, and raph & john were still MIA. it was july 4th though, so instead of a nap, we drank a few beers (guess what kind) and played 31 and then texas hold em. we didn't have poker chips though, so we used scrabble pieces. in case you're ever in this situation and have 3 players, here's the breakdown: everyone should get 20 1-point pieces, 2 2-pointers, 2 3-pointers, and 3 4-pointers. 42 "dollars" in chips to start. when we stopped playing, nina had 83, ali had 22, and i had 21. what's hard about playing with ali is that she rarely folds, so you have no idea if she is staying with 2-7 unsuited or pocket aces (both happened). she did get pocket 7's like 4 times tho, so this hand should probably be renamed the ali p.
by 9pm and still no word from the fly boys, we headed back to the depot to eat dinner and meet up with them when ever they got off the boat. finally raph and john joined us, with stories of raph catching the biggest fish of the day (a 20 incher). the fireworks display we saw were set off by some teenagers in the parking lot. they had like 20 of those screaming ones. i forget what they're called.
we arose the next morning early to catch our flight back to ohio, and had one last breakfast feast served up by leslie and john, whose hospitality and generosity are simply overwhelming. it was so good to see ali, who is like a sister to nina, and to finally meet raph, who amazed us both and after just 2 days already feels like a good friend. here's to planning another adventure with them, and a thank you for showing us such an incredible weekend in missoula.
now if i can only get moose drool shipped to ohio...
we arrived friday evening and i fell in love with missoula by the time we were out of the airport parking lot. the airport there has 2 gates. and a 9 foot (stuffed) brown bear guarding the baggage claim. the town has such a wonderful small town charm, enhanced by the fact that behind every house or store are miles and miles of mountain and river. the major employer is the university of montana. "go griz!" signs are painted or hung everywhere.
leslie and john took us to a local restaurant called the depot. now, i gotta tell you, for some reason i expected the population to be rather old - mostly vacationers or marlboro men. leslie and john told us it was a young town, but i was skeptical. until dinner. 90% of the workers and patrons were under 30, and healthy, outdoors-adventure types. the depot was where i got my first taste of the big sky brewing company - i wanted a local brew so john ordered me a moose drool, which is similar in color to bass but not as dark or heavy tasting, a little sweeter even. im not kidding when i say it was probably the best beer i've ever had. so i had another. and another.
after dinner leslie drove us up some mountain road to see some amazing properties and views. everything there is just mind bogglingly beautiful. oh yeah, and it doesn't get dark in missoula until 11pm. so at 9pm on a friday, people are out on the porch drinking beer and what not, while the sun is shining. it's very surreal. then we picked up ali and raph from the airport, and headed back to the house for a nightcap out on their porch.
i didn't really know what to expect of the house and property that leslie and john own. i half expected a one room log cabin (im so naive). to get to their "neighborhood", you have to drive along a road that has the blackfoor river to your left and some mountain to your right, each just 20 yards from the road (if that). then turn left onto some gravel road and cross the river. you are now completely surrounded by trees. someways up the road, you pull into a driveway (i use this term loosely as it is just another gravel road) with a sign that says 14300 nailed to a tree. i thought this was funny, cuz at that point we'd only passed 3 houses. i guess the number 4 was taken?
as we pull up to their house (it's 10pm and the sun is just starting to set, mind you), an enormous chocolate lab named otis comes running off the porch to welcome us to this 15-acre sanctuary. otis could not have been more perfectly named. their other dog, sam, a black poodle, also comes to greet us. sam was no typical poodle, although he did prance around a bit. he doesn't have the typical poodle hairdo and all that, and since he's still a puppy sam wants to play (and jump and bound and prance) constantly.
we spent the remainder of the nite sitting on the porch enjoying the brisk mountain air and a few more moose drool. raph and i became instant friends when i noticed his kick-ass brown new balance sneakers. i have this theory that you can tell a lot about a person based on their shoes. and in my book, cool brown sneakers mean you rule. anyway, at 12:30am (2:30am for nina and i), everyone slipped off to bed. we only had 2 1/2 days there, so we wanted to make sure we didn't sleep the morning away.
we awoke early to eat a leisurely breakfast and get ready for the day's main event: white water rafting on the clark ford river. breakfast included fresh blueberry pancakes made from scratch, warm maple syrup, sunnyside up eggs, and the thickest (and least fatty) bacon i'd ever laid eyes on. and coffee. i've been on java hiatus for almost 2 months, so this in particular was heavenly. as was the whole feast. so much for not gorging before 10am.
rafting down the clark ford river was awesome. mostly class 2 and 3 rapids, so nothing too scary, but it was so fun. our guide was cool too, very laid back (no surprise there). the rafting took a few hours, and near the end of the trip you could swim cuz the water was calm. i always jump in the water when allowed on these things, but on this day i really needed to take a leak (so much coffee, not enough bladder). so i had two reasons for wanting to get in. well, it was a cool day to begin with, but then i stayed in the cold water for longer than i should have. by the time i came out, my lips were purple and my fingers were starting to tingle. naturally i refused any type of clothing upon returning to the boat. "i'm fine," i assured everyone. i think leslie was a little terrified, cuz i was shivering like a sonofabitch. ever seen that commercial where the guy using the jackhammer on his driveway goes in the house and tries to pour himself a glass of water, but spills it everywhere due to his violent shaking? that was me. thankfully, nina huddled over to share some warmth. after reaching the take-out point of the trip, i (grudgingly) put on wind pants, a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and raph's fleece on. but cmon, guys, "im fine." eventually on the bus ride home, my body temperature reached back into the 90's.
upon arriving home, we sat on the porch in the afternoon sun and had cocktails while shucking corn. john put on some country music and his cowboy hat (which is his signature look and suits him very well), and we all sat around chatting and drinking. dinner (outside on the porch at sunset, 9:30pm-ish) was ribs, chicken, salad, and corn on the cob. we got to gorge twice in one day. a true sign of vacation. leslie can sure make some mean ribs. good eatin.
the next morning, raph and john headed off for what would be 14 hours of fly fishing. while leslie took them to the fly shop and ali lay dead to the world in the down stairs windowless bedroom, nina and i got up and enjoyed coffee, some crosswords, and the complete peacefulness that accompanies morning in the mountains. did i mention that this house was 100 yards from mountains?
after some bacon and blueberries, the four of us non-fishermen and the 2 dogs took a stroll up one of the surrounding mountains. i hope one day i can walk out our front door and walk right up to a mountain. what if your property included a mountain?! geez, it was an unreal 2 hour hike.
we returned for some lunch and decided to take a trip to REI and then the local ski mountain. you have to drive up a treacherous one-lane dirt road filled with hairpin turns and unbelievable vistas to reach the base of the mountain. to our surprise, the lifts were running - for mountain bikers, who came flying down every few minutes covered in cuts and bruises. at the lodge, the last run inn, we had pizza and drinks as we waited for a call from the king fishers. the last run inn is apparently renowned for their bloody mary, and had won an award for them every year since like 1643. and although i had a trout slayer ale (another local), nina assures they didn't disappoint.
at this point everyone was getting sleepy, and raph & john were still MIA. it was july 4th though, so instead of a nap, we drank a few beers (guess what kind) and played 31 and then texas hold em. we didn't have poker chips though, so we used scrabble pieces. in case you're ever in this situation and have 3 players, here's the breakdown: everyone should get 20 1-point pieces, 2 2-pointers, 2 3-pointers, and 3 4-pointers. 42 "dollars" in chips to start. when we stopped playing, nina had 83, ali had 22, and i had 21. what's hard about playing with ali is that she rarely folds, so you have no idea if she is staying with 2-7 unsuited or pocket aces (both happened). she did get pocket 7's like 4 times tho, so this hand should probably be renamed the ali p.
by 9pm and still no word from the fly boys, we headed back to the depot to eat dinner and meet up with them when ever they got off the boat. finally raph and john joined us, with stories of raph catching the biggest fish of the day (a 20 incher). the fireworks display we saw were set off by some teenagers in the parking lot. they had like 20 of those screaming ones. i forget what they're called.
we arose the next morning early to catch our flight back to ohio, and had one last breakfast feast served up by leslie and john, whose hospitality and generosity are simply overwhelming. it was so good to see ali, who is like a sister to nina, and to finally meet raph, who amazed us both and after just 2 days already feels like a good friend. here's to planning another adventure with them, and a thank you for showing us such an incredible weekend in missoula.
now if i can only get moose drool shipped to ohio...
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
i heard some nomar-for-clement trade rumors this morning. at first i was thinking the sox can't trade nomar. walk year or not, he's just such a good hitter. i don't care that he isn't hitting well right now, or that he may not ever hit 30 hr's again. as far as shortstops go, he's still top 5.
but then i starting thinking about what the sox would be like with clement. i realized he might actually bring more value to the sox than nomar. here's my thinking:
current infield and rotation:
1b ortix/millar
2b reese
3b nomar
ss mueller
p pedro
p schilling
p lowe
p wakefield
p arroyo
if you trade nomar for clement (who is ridiculous, by the way), you just shift pokey to short, mueller to 2b, and put youkillis at third. the lineup is trading nomar for youkillis, and the rotation gets clement over charles bronson arroyo. plus there'd be less pressure on lowe, who is just awful and can't be a #3 (i may dedicate a whole piece to how overrated he is). there's way more upside than downside for the sox.
boston is losing nomar after this year, and the cubs can afford to give up one quality starter (clement is older than zambrano and thus probably worth less to the cubs). the cubs can then try to sign nomar long term. sure it's not cali, where everyone thinks he's going, but chicago's a great baseball town, the cubs are consistent winners now, and he'd be a hero there. so they'll get a huge upgrade at short (nomar over ramon martinez/alex gonzalez). sure their rotation will lose some, but leicester and wellmeyer (both in the bullpen now) had success as starters in the minors. and maybe the cubs can ride the glendon rusch wave for a while too.
this trade is very doable on both sides. it'll be interesting to see if it pans out.
but then i starting thinking about what the sox would be like with clement. i realized he might actually bring more value to the sox than nomar. here's my thinking:
current infield and rotation:
1b ortix/millar
2b reese
3b nomar
ss mueller
p pedro
p schilling
p lowe
p wakefield
p arroyo
if you trade nomar for clement (who is ridiculous, by the way), you just shift pokey to short, mueller to 2b, and put youkillis at third. the lineup is trading nomar for youkillis, and the rotation gets clement over charles bronson arroyo. plus there'd be less pressure on lowe, who is just awful and can't be a #3 (i may dedicate a whole piece to how overrated he is). there's way more upside than downside for the sox.
boston is losing nomar after this year, and the cubs can afford to give up one quality starter (clement is older than zambrano and thus probably worth less to the cubs). the cubs can then try to sign nomar long term. sure it's not cali, where everyone thinks he's going, but chicago's a great baseball town, the cubs are consistent winners now, and he'd be a hero there. so they'll get a huge upgrade at short (nomar over ramon martinez/alex gonzalez). sure their rotation will lose some, but leicester and wellmeyer (both in the bullpen now) had success as starters in the minors. and maybe the cubs can ride the glendon rusch wave for a while too.
this trade is very doable on both sides. it'll be interesting to see if it pans out.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
after getting back from an absolutely amazing weekend in montana (more on that to come later), we stopped by blockbuster last nite. we rented the first 3 episodes of nip/tuck. they were very entertaining.
but there were two discouraging things going on at blockbuster (discouraging for their sake).
first, they figured out that they could put just 3 episodes on a dvd, thus requiring you to rent like 6 discs to see the full season. when we rented the first season of 24 like 2 years ago, i swear there were only 3 discs for all 24 episodes. smart for blockbuster, shitty for you and me.
second, with their realization that renting movies from a store is going the way of the dinosaur, blockbuster is offering a netflix-esque deal. but it's more expensive and you only get 2 movies at a time. plus, they're always so fucking pushy about signing up for the lord of the rings rebate deal.
so with that, and the continued recommendation of ahren and now ali, today we joined netflix. oh, how satisfying. any recommendations for our queue?
but there were two discouraging things going on at blockbuster (discouraging for their sake).
first, they figured out that they could put just 3 episodes on a dvd, thus requiring you to rent like 6 discs to see the full season. when we rented the first season of 24 like 2 years ago, i swear there were only 3 discs for all 24 episodes. smart for blockbuster, shitty for you and me.
second, with their realization that renting movies from a store is going the way of the dinosaur, blockbuster is offering a netflix-esque deal. but it's more expensive and you only get 2 movies at a time. plus, they're always so fucking pushy about signing up for the lord of the rings rebate deal.
so with that, and the continued recommendation of ahren and now ali, today we joined netflix. oh, how satisfying. any recommendations for our queue?
let's just pretend i posted this last friday:
-last week a co-worker made a bet with me. he claimed linda cohn was married to stuart scott. i laughed repeatedly. and won the bet.
-here's a tidbit nina learned in a microbiology class: there's a certain fungi that grows on barley that cycles every n years (maybe 20?). this fungi, when consumed, causes similar side effects as LSD. because barley was a staple of their diet and cuz the timing fits the fungi cycle, apparently there's a theory going around that the salem witch hunts may have been spawned by people who were hallucinating, i.e. (1) eat some barley, (2) "that woman is flying!", (3) "let's burn her!"
-i think we have an imp living in our house. i have had this bottle of cologne for 19 months, i put it on almost everyday when i get ready for work, and the cologne level has yet to fall below the neck of the bottle. i think the imp must be filling it up with water when im gone. i think i will name him jonesy.
-is there any more pathetic place in the world than the smoker's lounge at an airport? seriously, what a horrific spot.
-just an observation about the media: while the coverage of u.s. soldiers' mistreatment of detainees continues to fill pages and tv screens, the second beheading of an american civilian at the hands of terrorists got 1/3 page in last week's TIME magazine.
-last week a co-worker made a bet with me. he claimed linda cohn was married to stuart scott. i laughed repeatedly. and won the bet.
-here's a tidbit nina learned in a microbiology class: there's a certain fungi that grows on barley that cycles every n years (maybe 20?). this fungi, when consumed, causes similar side effects as LSD. because barley was a staple of their diet and cuz the timing fits the fungi cycle, apparently there's a theory going around that the salem witch hunts may have been spawned by people who were hallucinating, i.e. (1) eat some barley, (2) "that woman is flying!", (3) "let's burn her!"
-i think we have an imp living in our house. i have had this bottle of cologne for 19 months, i put it on almost everyday when i get ready for work, and the cologne level has yet to fall below the neck of the bottle. i think the imp must be filling it up with water when im gone. i think i will name him jonesy.
-is there any more pathetic place in the world than the smoker's lounge at an airport? seriously, what a horrific spot.
-just an observation about the media: while the coverage of u.s. soldiers' mistreatment of detainees continues to fill pages and tv screens, the second beheading of an american civilian at the hands of terrorists got 1/3 page in last week's TIME magazine.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
a few notes from last nite's yanks-sox game:
1. did anyone else notice the shiner on terry francona? maybe he was standing too close to johnny damon and when the caveman turned around, francona got face-whipped with his flowing locks. or maybe thugged-out pokey got sick of batting 9th and playing second and just suckered punched him in the clubhouse. and also, in about the 5th inning, terry got a huge piece of sunflower seed on his cheek. that shit was still there in the 9th. isn't that what the bench coach is for? "uh, boss, you, uh, got some stuff, uh, rite here..." willie woulda been all over that if it happened to torre.
2. i absolutely love that david ortiz tried to act that tony the tiger's grounder to first went thru his glove. he's looking at for like 3 minutes, then again between innings, as if he was gonna find some enormous gaping hole in it. it was like something you'd see at a JV highschool game. hey poppi, it's not the glove - you just have the agility of a tugboat. accept it and move on.
3. im all for the sox being "done" for the year. but cmon. the season isn't even half over, and the guys in the press box are acting like the sox should be playing for next year.
4. when they pulled wakefield with a runners on first and third with 1 out in the 7th, brantley said the reason was that francona didn't want wakefield to take the loss, as it would hurt his confidence. he added some crap about how pulling him now would give him something good to build on, blah blah blah. what he shoulda said was, wakefield got pulled because (a) with a runner on third, the unpredictability of the knuckleball increases the odds for a wild pitch/passed ball (one had just happened), and (b) the sox brought in williamson, who is so much better than wakefield. if i had to choose whether i like jeff brantley or not, i'd probably lean towards not (his hair is clearly a factor).
1. did anyone else notice the shiner on terry francona? maybe he was standing too close to johnny damon and when the caveman turned around, francona got face-whipped with his flowing locks. or maybe thugged-out pokey got sick of batting 9th and playing second and just suckered punched him in the clubhouse. and also, in about the 5th inning, terry got a huge piece of sunflower seed on his cheek. that shit was still there in the 9th. isn't that what the bench coach is for? "uh, boss, you, uh, got some stuff, uh, rite here..." willie woulda been all over that if it happened to torre.
2. i absolutely love that david ortiz tried to act that tony the tiger's grounder to first went thru his glove. he's looking at for like 3 minutes, then again between innings, as if he was gonna find some enormous gaping hole in it. it was like something you'd see at a JV highschool game. hey poppi, it's not the glove - you just have the agility of a tugboat. accept it and move on.
3. im all for the sox being "done" for the year. but cmon. the season isn't even half over, and the guys in the press box are acting like the sox should be playing for next year.
4. when they pulled wakefield with a runners on first and third with 1 out in the 7th, brantley said the reason was that francona didn't want wakefield to take the loss, as it would hurt his confidence. he added some crap about how pulling him now would give him something good to build on, blah blah blah. what he shoulda said was, wakefield got pulled because (a) with a runner on third, the unpredictability of the knuckleball increases the odds for a wild pitch/passed ball (one had just happened), and (b) the sox brought in williamson, who is so much better than wakefield. if i had to choose whether i like jeff brantley or not, i'd probably lean towards not (his hair is clearly a factor).
